I think one component of a good story is one that efficiently builds the world and characters. A lot of people think that a good story needs to be thousands of pages long, which is false. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart is an excellent example of efficient but still descriptive writing and development of setting and characters. The book is only 200-ish pages long, but with E. Lockhart there is never a dull moment and you learn something new in every sentence. I don't want to give too much away, but the the author describes Gat as "ambition and strong coffee". Her description of each of the characters is unique and has stuck with me. One of my favorite lines from the book is when Cadence's dad walks out on her and her mom. They stand in the driveway and Cadence says, "Then he pulled out a handgun and shot me in the chest. I was standing on the lawn and I fell. The bullet hole opened wide and my heart rolled out of my rib cage and down into a flower bed." This excerpt is an example of the effective writing by Lockhart. She could have chose to go on and on about how she was heartbroken and devasted, filling pages with grief-stricken thoughts. Instead, she used a metaphor(that makes you go back and think- wait, wait??) that was able to convey the message in just a few sentences.
WOW, Nikki V! I couldn't have imagined a better answer. Especially since we are about to begin our *short* story unit, I like that you have noted that length doesn't determine story quality. Also, I love that you've picked up on the importance of diction(word choice). This thoughtful and thorough comment doesn't surprise me one bit because your About Me Essay was one of the most creative, revealing, and memorable that I read. Thank you for starting this conversation with such a fabulous answer and model comment!
I totally agree, Nikki V. The description of characters really helps me determine if a story is great. One book that I believe also describes all of the characters very well is And Then There Were None. Each character has a unique personality that is clearly portrayed throughout the book using dialogue, flashbacks, descriptive words, etc. She also uses the third person omniscient point of view to help the reader understand what each character is feeling/thinking. Towards the end of the book, Agatha Christie uses this point of view to describe how Vera Claythorne is feeling when she comes to the realization that she is all alone. Although some may disagree, I thought that Agatha Christie wrote the book in such a way that caused me difficulty to put the book down! Along with character description, I think that another element that makes a story great is when it has a theme that the reader can easily can connect to. Does anyone know of any books that contain that component?
To answer Sophie M.'s question, Looking For Alaska by John Green is a great book with many relatable themes. For example, one is unrequited love is not as valid as mutual love. The love Miles feels for Alaska (don't worry, this is revealed in the first three chapters) is not as deep as Alaska and Jake's love. This is relatable because we've all had a crush on someone who didn't like you back, and we all know how that feels, so it makes Miles a more relatable character. What I think makes a great story is a well built plot. You can have the best, roundest, most perfect characters, and the greatest, most relatable theme but if you don't have a storyline what good is that? A good example of a story with a well built plot is House of the Scorpion. I haven't been reading it for long but MAN is it good. It has such an interesting concept and that's what keeps me going in a book. If the actual story doesn't capture your attention, then what should?
I agree with Nikki V. too. It does not have to be a long book/story to be good. I have read some books that are half the size of other books and I like the shorter book better then longer books. What really makes a story good is if it is about a subject that interests you. It could be different for everyone. Right now i am reading Pretenders. I really like it but if you don't like realistic fiction then you probably will not like it. I believe that a good book is something that intersects you and makes you not want to put the book down. I think that it is perfectly fine if this is different for everyone. All that should matter is if you enjoy it.
Thank you, girls, for giving me confidence that blogging is going to be a great tool for our class this year. You will never understand the joy I experienced as your comments came in on the 10th to be moderated.
Nat K. - I'm curious as to what you mean by "something that intersects you."
I think what makes a good story is dialogue to show the characters emotions and feelings throughout the novel. I believe dialogue is important to show how characters communicate with each other and how they feel about one another. For example, in And Then There Were None, Agatha Christie uses dialogue to show how each character is feeling when one person after another keeps dying. This is why I believe dialogue is what makes stories and novels great.
Hi! I am in complete agreement with Dirk N about how dialogue is very important to create a great story. The dialogue in And Then There Were None was also exceptional because it showed the time period that the novel was written in. Not too recently, but in 1939. Another element to a story that makes it great is suspense or when the author is always keeping you on the edge of your seat. One of my favorite books of all time is The Child Called "It" written by David Peltzer who in fact is the child called "It". He was abused by his mom as a young boy but grew up into someone who was strong enough to process his hardships, write about them, help out many people who have problems similar to his as a child at their home and touch the ones who relate but have not gone through the same things. I could not put down the book because I just had to know what was going to happen to Dave next, and when he was going to stand up for himself. In this novel dialogue was also created well. What made it even better was that is was written first hand by the person talking in the novel themselve. Dialogue and suspense aren't the only elements that add to a wonderful story. There are many more, but in my opinion these are two of the most important.
I like a story with a satisfactory ending that leaves the reader wondering just enough, while also tying up all loose ends neatly. When the plot development slows down to a stop, that is where the story should end, because a lot of stories drag on and on just for the sake of dragging on and on. An example of a good ending is in the book Holes by Louis Sachar. Sachar finishes the story about the main plot, which is the most important. He leaves the rest to the readers' imaginations, the parts of the story that didn't play a big role in the plot, but still were nice additions. I also think the best stories are the simplest stories that don't use fluff to get the main points across. It defeats the purpose of the story a lot of times. Overall, I think the contents of a story should be simple and satisfactory.
What makes a good story is something with a great conflict, climax, hook, and resolution. Also something that makes a great story is something with a gray mystery in suspense like in the story by Laurie Halse Anderson called Speak. The Protagonist Melinda gives off clear signs that she has been through some kind of traumatic experience that's clearly to hard to say. The author only gives off at least three clues to the protagonist traumatic experience 1. Being that she was in eighth grade 2. The protagonist Melinda was at a high school party 3. There was a guy involved that the protagonist refers to as "The Beast". Speak was a story of suspense and mystery because, you didn't know what happened to Melinda the protagonist. " I want to hear him scream. I look up. I see the stubble on his chin, a fleck of white in the corner of his mouth. His lips are paralyzed. He cannot speak. That's good enough. Me: "I said no" (120 Anderson).
A good story should have a good hook. The author should want to pull the reader into their story and make them want to keep reading. Not only that, a good story needs to continue on with a good plot. What makes the reader want to read the story in the first place? To conclude the story, the author should end it according to the mood. Some authors may want the reader to continue on with the book themselves so they end with a cliffhanger or they might end the story with a description that tells the reader what happens but not everything. Conclusions should make the reader feel satisfactory but allows the reader to create their own endings as well. In the book Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom, the author pulls the reader in by starting off with a flashback. He then continues on with the plot about one of his college professors being diagnosed with ALS. It isn't until twenty years after college and the disease, that the two reunite. From there, they embark on a journey through life, love, and ultimately, death. I agree with Nikki V. Stories should not be based on length. It has always been a misconception. People always assume that a longer story is always the better one. Sometimes, a descriptive sentence can be much more effective and intense than a paragraph.
I agree with Selena that a good story should have a good plot and also that the conclusion should have a mood that relates. To build on earlier comments I think good characterization is vital to a story. A good story should have characters that are well developed with backgrounds and unique personalities to increase the interest of the reader. Different stories span a wide variety of genres so different elements may apply to different genres. I read a lot of mystery books so I think a crucial element to a good mystery story is suspense. Good books with suspense always keep the reader engaged almost if as they were in the story. A major feature of a good story is its ability to cause the reader to infer and make a prediction of what will happen almost unintentionally. This shows the reader is thinking a lot about the story and analyzing the facts. In the book "And Then There Were None" I was constantly making predictions who the killer was because of the unique character traits each character had. In conclusion a great story should have well developed characters and elements essential to the genre (for mystery books I think suspense).
I think a good story should have good character development because it is hard to read a story without well thought out characters. Since characters are a big part of a story, poorly thought out and developed characters would ruin the book. There should also be a major conflict that a protagonist is trying to solve or fix with antagonists trying to stop them. Every book needs a conflict because it shows how characters develop through the conflict, and it makes a story interesting. Imagine how boring And Then There Were None would be without people dying. It should also, like Selena wrote, hook the reader in. A lot of good stories keep people reading for hours when they only think it has been minutes. The plot is also an important part of the story because without a plot, there is no story. It should make the reader think they are apart of the story and make the reader feel emotions based on plot twists. Good dialog and character thoughts also makes a great story because readers want to know what the character is saying or thinking. Without dialog, a book would be pretty boring because no one would be talking or showing any emotion towards other characters. Finally, a good book should have a conclusion that wraps up the book, or in a series, ends on cliffhanger to make the reader want to read the next book.
I believe that many things can make up a great story. One thing that makes a story great is when you can't put a book down. It means that the story is compelling and has pulled you in, making reading fun instead of boring or unappealing. Another thing that makes a great story is a strong beginning, middle, and end. It keeps you hooked in without having any down parts that might keep you from wanting to read on. Also good characters are key to a great story. I like it when the author give the characters special personalities and help you connects to the book. I also enjoy a book with a interesting plot, one that has you wanting to read more and more to find out what happens next. I also enjoy stories with plot twists that catch you by surprise and it adds to the excitement of a book. Descriptive writing is also important to a great story. It helps give you visuals on what is happening in a book.
I agree with Delaney there should definitely be a good character throughout the book. There are many things that make up a good story. A good story should have a good plot that makes the reader want to read more. It should impact you in a good way and sometimes, it would be good if you could relate to the character too. The story should build as it goes and have an exciting climax that gets you hooked on the book to keep reading. Also, there should be a good setting that relates to the story and it should influence the characters actions. Most of all, there should be a good theme that hopefully helps our own lives. It should be organized so the reader doesn't get confused while reading, and I also agree with Nikki that a good story doesn't have to be a thousand pages, it could be short and still be enjoyable. There are many aspect of making a good story, and these are just a few of them.
Personally I think a story with well described characters makes the story the best. I think this because well described characters can make the reader understand the characters more and sometimes the story too! Characters that are really well put can make readers love the story because they want to see a character who they really love and see what they do next. For example, in the book Things I can't Forget, I fell in love with the characters. Miranda Kenneally described the characters in such an amazing way, I always wanted to see what Kate the main character was going to do next in her decision making. I felt as if I was really in the book with them because I could really connect with the characters and how well they were described. The characters were the reason I really loved the book. In conclusion a story with well described characters is what makes a great story.
Many elements make up a great read. Some traits of a good book are an interesting plot, developed characters, an intense conflict, an amazing climax, imagery, and a good ending. My soft spot for stories is when the author makes you become that character, and makes your opinions in the book change as you read more. An example of this is in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. The author changes you into Elizabeth Bennet, and you start to view things from her perspective more and more. Next, she starts to add characters, such as Mr. Darcy, and Mr. Collins. Elizabeth thinks Darcy is a snotty, rich, and arrogant fellow. As she gets to know him better, she starts to notice that he's not as mean as she thought. Eventually, Darcy becomes a compassionate, kind man who cares for other people more than he does himself. One of my favorite elements of this personality change is how Darcy starts as an antagonist, and becomes the best protagonist you could ever dream of! Another part of a story that I like is a surprise ending. In Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, I was on the edge of my seat throughout the novel. I had no idea that the murderer was one of the characters, let alone the character who I thought was one of the most innocent. Not only did Christie show how Wargrave did it, but she explained his motives which I found surprising. When a book has a surprise at the end, and a change in perspective, you know it's a good read.
My idea of a great story is when the author is very descriptive so I can imagine it in my head. I like to be able to try an imagine what the characters look like and what is happening in the story. Also when the author shows the mood of the story and characters through out the whole book. I personally like books that leave you hanging at the end of each chapter so you have to keep reading till you finish the book. I think its interesting when books have a little crime in them, it makes me keep reading wondering if the person who is committing the crime gets away with it or if someone gets hurt to see if they are okay. I personally think a hooking book with a little crime are good stories.
There are many components to a good story. A good story should "grab the readers by their collars," as in the story cannot be boring. In my opinion, when you can't put a book down then it is a good book. An example of that is the whole Divergent series because the author, Veronica Roth, makes you feel like you are in the story. When you read the book Divergent, you are transformed into the world of Tris and you feel like you are her. I agree with what Delaney said, the characters should be good as well because I don't want to be reading a book with boring characters even if the topic interests me. Another book that really portrayed all of these components is The Fault In Our Stars. First of all, the book "grabbed me by my collar," I absolutely couldn't put it down! The character were great and one of my favorite quotes of all time, "You put the killing thing between your teeth, but you don't give it the power to do its killing." Augustus Water stated that quote in the book and he had a great personality, so he is an example of a good character. Sometimes I feel like the characters in the books I read are real because the author does a great job of making their traits to real life peoples traits, which is something I really like. In the end a boom should have a great hook , like Selena stated, and it should contain good character, and that is a good read in my opinion.
I agree with all the previous comments! It truly is the development and presentation of characters that make a story good. I would also like to add how important the mood of a story is and the emotional reactions it gives the reader. A great story allows the reader to become emotionally involved with the story. It allows the reader to laugh when there is comedy, cry when theres sadness, and smile when there's hope. This leaves a character to feel like their in the story and feeling what the characters are. For example, I became very emotionally attached to the story and it characters in the book The Fault In Our Stars by John Green. It was a book that made me happy and warm inside watching the characters fall in love and share a few laughs together. It made me feel sad when a character got hurt and happy when a character was brought with great news. I enjoyed the emotion it gave me so much that I did not want to put the book down. The emotion of love and hurt made the largest affect on me. I found my self crying while reading the ending. A character dies and so the mood and emotion I was getting was sadness and hurt. I felt like I was the character feeling these emotions.
While there are many components to a compelling narrative, I believe that what makes an exceptional story is a powerful theme that allows the reader to receive a message in the form of a tale. This use of a theme can make a book more intriguing and often times inspiring. In my opinion, a story in which a moral can be taken away upon reading the composition is a story worth reading. An excellent theme is often driven by profound characters whom propel the plot forward and ultimately learn a lesson by course of events. Character development and rich personalities are also important to a compelling story. When a reader can emphatically sense the emotions that a character displays and is able to view the story from the character's perspective, it makes the reading experience more enjoyable. Being able to see a character grow throughout the course of the story sparks interest to the plot, leaving the reader to want to find out what new challenges and conflicts are presented as the story progress, and how the character may respond to these events. One example of a book that displays both the components of theme and characterization well is The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. The trilogy has at least a dozen themes integrated into the plot, some more evident than others. The themes of the story are not directly given, but are beautifully displayed through the acts and personality of the many great characters involved. I and countless others admire this book for its stunning themes of courage, self-sacrifice, hope, resistance of temptation, the battle over good and evil, and friendship. The characters all have such a fascinating personality which makes it easy to make connections to them and mentally live in the world in which they are. So to conclude, inspiring themes and interesting character traits, along with other components, can accomplish a fantastic story that is truly enjoyable to read.
I believe that a good story must have some important traits. First of all, you need a character who you an easily relate to. That way you can really immerse yourself in the story. You also need an interesting conflict and resolution, and that definition of interesting can vary for different people. Also, you need antagonists, in order to add more to the story with a possible side-story. One example of this is in the book Mr. Mercedes where there is a murder, and a cop. We get the first person view of each of the characters in different chapters. This really makes it interesting because you know information that the characters don't know, and know what they should and shouldn't do. For example, we learn that Mr. Mercedes (the antagonist) is planning to be a suicide bomber at a concert, and plans to kill and injure 100's of people. But we know that Detective Hodges has no idea that he plans to do that. Another thing that a good story needs is a lot of what the reader wants. For example if it is a romance book, then thats what the reader wants compared to if it is a thriller. I feel that all of these things make up a good story.
I agree completely with Anne and think those are all things that make a good story! I personally think that just the amount of emotion a story has can make it great! I really enjoy sad books. I love the way they can can touch/ move you. An example of this is the book Wonder. This story is about a young boy with special needs named Augusts. He is entering his first year in middle school and this is the first time going to a a public school. Right away many of the kids bully him or ignore him because he looks different. As the story progresses he meets two other kids who then become his friends. They stick up for him and don't judge him based on his looks. This story was just filled with so much emotion and it was truly inspiring.
Going off from the very first comment, a short story cannot be boring, it MUST build on the world, setting, characters, and everything else involved. Also, there must be a great theme or message or even a moral to the story, so the reader can take something away from the story. Also, it neeDS A GOOD MESSAGE because if not, the reader was wasting his or hers time on reading something with no meaning. That is what makes a good short story.
I think there are many components to a good story. A good story must "grab the readers by their collars," as in the story cannot be boring. In my opinion, if a book is good, then it would be a book I wouldn't be able to put down. An example of this would be the whole Divergent series. When you read Divergent, you are transformed into the world of Tris, and you feel like you are in the story. I agree with Delaney, a good book must contain good characters. I wouldn't want to read a book with not so great characters even if the topic interests me. A book that has great characters would be The Fault In Our Stars. Augustus Waters stated my favorite quote of all time: " You put the killing thing right between you teeth, but don't give it the power to do its killing." Augustus waters had a great personality, and I almost felt like he was a real person not a fictional character. In conclusion a book should have a good hook, and a good characters
I believe that there are many different traits that a story can have in order to be good. For one, I always look for interesting characters. For example, in Looking For Alaska, certain characters in a group all have interesting nicknames such as "pudge" and "colonel". I was immediatly drawn into the book when I read these nicknames. It makes you want to know where these nicknames came from and if it has to do with their personality. Being drawn in is another trait to a good story, as well as keeping the reader interested. Another trait that I look for in a story is the conflict. The conflict should keep the reader in suspense until the end of the story. There are many other components making up a good story, and these are just a few that I look for in a good story.
I think what makes a good story is how the author describes the characters. If you really get to know the characters and how they feel or what they like to do the story will be better. In one of my favorite books The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan I feel like he introduced Percy Jackson really good and now that's probably my favorite series to read. I believe introducing and describing the characters is big in what makes a great story.
I am in agreement with Tommy W. Getting to know your characters is what turns a good book to great. My favorite series, Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer, is great introducing Theo. I feel very connected to him and relate very easily also. I always am excited for the next book because of the connection I have grown with Theo. It's always more interesting to follow and grow with characters you can relate with. Also, I feel it very important to understand the side characters as well. I feel that most authors don't make very strong connections and relations with there side characters. If you can make great connections with all characters, your book will have already have the start of becomings a great story.
There are many reasons that can improve the quality of a story, both short or long. The biggest one is that the reader has to be inclined to read the work he/she wants to. For example: if you have someone who likes fantasy and reads a book about Liberalism (politics), they're not really going to want to read it and therefore probably won't like it because it doesn't appeal to them. It also is important that a story has a plot that doesn't go off of what it is trying to do. I remember at a few points in The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe, the author had one thing going on, and the next part seemed pretty random. At one point the protagonists are sitting in a war camp, and in next chapter it starts with them fighting a battle without the author building on them in the camp or introducing the battle in any way. The story needs to progressively get from point "A" to point "B". Finally, a story needs to be descriptive of the characters and their environment, but a mix of direct and indirect characterization. "Bob was fat. Bob was bored. Bob was tired." is just flat out boring, whereas with "Bob had eaten a lot in his lifetime and has felt the consequences of such later. Bob had nothing to do that he could enjoy and didn't know what he should do. Bob flopped down on the couch because he was depleted of energy." is some kind of riddle that the reader has to decode. The author needs to put in description where appropriate and not always the same way, but rather by mixing it up a little. Out of many, these are just scratching the surface of components of a good book, however, I've found that I can pull myself to enjoy books that have these (and a few other) characteristics.
There are many characteristics of a good story, but one that stands out to me most is a strong plot, and suspense about the characters. I love when the author uses suspense to create characters with mystery, and draws you in wanting to learn more about the story. In my choice book I just got from the library, Just Listen, the characters have a lot of suspense and mystery about them that makes me interested and makes mew want to read more into the story, to figure out what has happened in their past experiences. Another characteristic of a good story is a page turner. I love when a book has a huge amount of detail, that makes me want to keep reading. Books are the best when you can't peel your eyes away from the page, and want to just keep reading! There are so many more characteristics that create an awesome story, but these two are the ones I enjoy most!
I am in agreement with just about all of the comments before me. There are a lot of things that go into making a story really good. I enjoy a story when it has meaning and can make you reflect on things that will stay relevant for an endless amount of time. Those kinds of things would be bravery, redemption, hope, and liberty. Words like that are so common that they seem to lose meaning a lot. When you read a story that can bring life back to those words, it is really inspiring. This is displayed really well in the book Les Miserables. If you take the idea of liberty for instance, Victor Hugo really goes in depth with the background story of the students who organized the rebellion against the french king. By knowing so much about these characters and what their beliefs are, you really feel a connection to them and their struggle for freedom. Liberty is now an actual idea with true meaning rather than a word used so many times that people forget about what is really behind that word. Being able to do something as huge as that will really make a book stand out in my mind.
I thnk what makes a good story is a setting. If the setting is describe good it paints a picture in the readers mind. Also how the author descirbes the main characters, That's really important because it shows how the character is and their personaliy and how that would change or effect them in the story. A good story shoTuld have an interesting story to it. It should get the readers attention and wanting them to keep reading. In the book The Fault In Our Stars the story and the main idea ( message) was great. The author was very descriptive.
I agree with everyone's comments on what makes a good story. I feel like the most important traits are, character descriptions and having the book be a real page turner. There is nothing more important than understanding the characters. You need to know how they handle situations. And Then There Were None is a great example of having good character descriptions. It gave you a little background of each character and then it showed you how they reacted once they were confronted about the murders. This helped you predict how they were going to act in the situations going on in the book. You could also think about how they would react in other real life situations. I personally cannot stand books that don't have me hooked 100%. I need to be able to sit down and know that I am not going to want to stop reading. The worst is when you know you have to read, but you don't like the book. Everyone should want to read a book, therefore you need to make books entertaining and exciting, with a lot of energy. There are so many great things that make up a good story, I just think those two are very important.
I totally felt this way, too, until I took a college course that taught me the pleasure of struggling through a really difficult book. It is surprisingly rewarding in the end. :)
I agree with all the comments posted. There are many different key elements to a good story; however I believe that in order to be a really good story it needs a mix of as many good aspects as possible. You may have a very good hook, but without a good plot your reader is going to be let down. Without a really good hook, your plot may be undiscovered if your readers lose interest. There's so many thing you need to pay attention to characters, setting, plot, conflict, hook, theme, mood, suspense, foreshadowing, ect. That's why you really need a well balanced book in order for it to be good. An example of a book that follows this would be "And Then There Were None" this is because it quickly gets into the conflict while describing all the characters. As you can see adding in a mixture of properties like these make the best story.
I believe every story should contain humor thoughout the book. Humor keeps the reader entertained and awake during the slow parts of the book. In my favorite book- Pride & Popularity by Jenni James- Kylie and Chole are in an argument and in the midst of it all Chole brings in a little humor to keep things interesting. "You just told me he asked you, and you just told me I was lying about him asking me. So if he has already asked you to prom and you're certain I'm lying, then why are you here, Kylie?" This quote made me even more engaged in the story (if that was even possible) All in all all stories should have a little humor in them I keep the reader smiling.
There are many parts that make a great story. One of the main things that I look for in a good story;however, is an interesting plot, that stays consistent throughout the story. The plot can be developed by many ideas, like characters. Characters that are well built and have a lot of impact in a story can help a plot become more interesting. A story that exemplifies this is the 13 Treasures trilogy by Michelle Harrison. Two of the main characters, Tanya and Red, show strong traits of love, friendship, effort, and hard work. Since these traits are so evident in the characters, it helps the propel the plot, and give it excitement. The characters' actions have many outcomes that turns the plot in many ways. In conclusion, plot and characters have a great part in shaping a good story.
To make a story great, you have to consist of the following...
First, I definitely agree with Selena D. A good story must have a good and catching hook to draw the reader’s attention. I think that because if a story does not have a good and drawing hook, the readers would get bored and wouldn't want to read the story. When the reader is beginning to read a story, they don’t know if it will be good. So if the beginning isn’t good, then the reader would just put that story down and choose another one. For example, the book And Then There Were None By: Agatha Christie, did not have a good and drawing hook. So I (the reader) got extremely bored. If it wasn't a summer reading book, I might as well not have read the book. So it is important to have a good hook that grabs the reader.
Second, a good story must contain a unique and exciting plot. Also, the plot must be compelling to make the story interesting. If the plot is the same as every average story, then the reader would know that the story would be similar and would not want to read that certain story. In contrast, having an exciting plot draws the reader in and makes the reader begging for more. Michael Vey: The prisoner of cell 25 is an example with a story with a good plot. It starts out with Michael having super powers, and then it continues with his mom getting kidnapped and finally ends with him saving his mom using his powers. The plot of that story was very unique and creative so it drew me in. Those kinds of plots are plots that writers want when they are writing a story, and also what readers want when they are reading the story.
Third, as Caleb L said, a good story must contain good characterization and description. It should contain good characterization in order to tell the reader about the characters. It is very important for readers to know the character because if they didn’t, then the reader would not know how the character would feel. Adding to that readers get bored and confused if the story doesn't contain good characterization and so, they would not read the story. However, if the story does have good characteristics, then the story is fun to read and easy to understand. An example is the book And Then There Were None. Agatha Christie did a really good job of giving good character descriptions so I was able to enjoy the book and I knew how the character would feel in a certain situation. It makes the reader understand the story better.
I too agree with several of theses blogs and ideas of what everyone thinks creates a great story. I think just as many others do too, that suspense is one of the great elements to create a fabulous story. Suspense is important to creating a great story because is always leaves you wanting to know what is going to happen, and makes you want to keep reading. I agree with laxislife that good stories have characters that you can relate and know a lot about because it can help engage in the reading. If you don't know much about a character or don't care about that character then when something happens to them it is not as exciting if you don't really care about them. Lastly, I think having a interesting conflict is important in creating a great story. This is important in a story because if there isn't an interesting conflict the whole story would be boring! These are just a couple of the many things I think need to be incorporated to make a good story.
To make a story great, you have to consist of the following...
First, I definitely agree with Selena D. A good story must have a good and catching hook to draw the reader’s attention. I think that because if a story does not have a good and drawing hook, then the readers get bored and don’t read the story. When the reader is beginning to read a story, they don’t know if the book will be good. So if the beginning isn’t good, then the reader would just put that story down and choose another one. For example, the book And Then There Were None By: Agatha Christie, did not have a good and drawing hook. So I (the reader) got extremely bored. If it wasn't a summer reading book, I might as well not have read the book.
Second, a good story must contain a unique and exciting plot. Also, the plot must be compelling to make the story interesting. If the plot is the same as every average story, then the reader would know that the story would be similar and would not want to read that certain story. In contrast, having an exciting plot draws the reader in and makes the reader begging for more. Michael Vey: The prisoner of cell 25 is an example with a story with a good plot. It starts out with Michael having super powers, and then it continues with his mom getting kidnapped and finally ends with him saving his mom using his powers. The plot of that story was very unique and creative so it drew me in. Those kinds of plots are plots that writers want when they are writing a story, and also what readers want when they are reading the story.
Third, as Caleb L said, a good story must contain good characterization and description. It should contain good characterization in order to tell the reader about the characters. It is very important for readers to know the character because if they didn’t, then the reader would not know how the character would feel. Adding to that readers get bored and confused if the story doesn't contain good characterization and so, they would not read the story. However, if the story does have good characteristics, then the story is fun to read and easy to understand. An example is the book And Then There Were None. Agatha Christie did a really good job of giving good character descriptions so I was able to enjoy the book and I knew how the character would feel in a certain situation. It makes the reader understand the story better.
I think what makes a good story is that the novel lasts a long time with you. This could be a style of writing choice used, "To Kill A Mockingbird"(I don't know how to underline) is one of my favorite books because of the writing style used. The English used in the book is much different than that used today, Calpurnia tells Scout, "There's some folks who don't eat like us...but you ain't called on to contradict 'em at the table when they don't. That boy's yo' comp'ny and if he wants to eat up the table cloth you let him, you hear?" This style of writing has stuck with me and it made this book unique for me. It could also be the characters. The characters that are dealing with the same situations as you make the book more enjoyable and memorable. The characters that are unique also make a compelling narrative. In "The Hunger Games", Katniss is a poor girl who lives in a poor civilization who is a good archer and survives the Hunger Games. In my extensive list of books that I have read, there has been no other character like her . Also, something that can make a book last for you is the setting. Whether that is on a deserted island, a jungle, or a city, a boring setting will not make a compelling novel.
Great answer, Camden! I, too, believe that the best stories are the stories that stay with you for a long time. I still remember how various books made me feel and changed my life throughout high school and college. I know that some stories became a part of me and a part of who I am today.
There are many components that make a great story. The best stories have strong characters, a fascinating setting and a rememberable theme. When a story has strong characters, you connect with them. In my favorite book, The Fault in Our Stars, I got attached to Hazel Grace and Augustus so much that I read the book two more times. A memorable theme is another great component to have in a story. The theme should let the reader take a moral lesson from the story and apply it to their own life. Also, the setting is an important role in a great story. If the reader can visualize the events in the book clearly, it will connect with them more than a book that they couldn't visualize. Setting also sets a mood on the book, whether it's a rainy, dark day or a warm, sunny summer day. Having a strong setting, theme and characters are all components for making a great story.
One way I survived English classes throughout high school and college is by finding something to relate to in everything I read. It wasn't always easy, but I do think that it made me a better reader. It is a great skill to have!
There are many features a good story should have but one important thing to include is a plot. If a story doesn't have a plot then the reader reading the story will be confused and will most likely not have a good outlook on the book. In the book A Child Called It by Dave Pelzer, there is a rising action, climax, and resolution even though it's a nonfiction book. The rising action is when the abuse his mother is giving him is getting worse and worse. The climax is when Fave realizes that he will live through this and he will be saved and that courage in his mind kept him alive. Lastly, the resolution is when the teachers and principal at his elementary school realized that Dave is in a terrible condition and is barely hanging on by a string so they tell the local police station and Dave is finally saved. A good story also needs to have a setting because without a setting the reader will be confused as much as when there isn't a plot line.
For me, it does not take a lot to make a good story. Like many others have said, suspense is a key component to a good story. If a story doesn't make you want to keep turning the pages, it is incredibly easy to get board with. Another thing that makes a good story is conflict. Who has ever heard of a good story with no conflict? And the only way to make a conflict really work well is to have good characters. What would be the point of the protagonist being in danger if you don't care about them? Lastly, you must be descriptive. When a book is descriptive you almost forget that you are reading a book at all. It feels like you are watching TV in your brain. All of the most popular books today have these qualities.
what I believe to be a good story is basically like a formula, if you get all the correct components and plug them in all the right places, you'll end up with a fine solution... In this case a good plot which always keeps the reader engaged, sentences that make the reader think, and nice characters that are appealing to the the reader in every aspect(more or less). I believe that this is so because from my past experience with books, the ones that I enjoy reading have a very well thought out plot which was designed to engage the reader's interest in finding out what's going to happen next, such as cliff hangers for example. These are all basic things that are all writers hopefully know and base their writing's structures upon. However, for a book to be truly be good, it all depends on how or in which way the writer specifically went about writing his or her story, it is this part right here that makes a book stand out from others. There is more than one way to find a correct solution, you don't have to always follow the standard algorithm/formula, it all depends on how you anticipate it, if you change around the formula to get the same solution, or if you use a different formula all together or add things here and there. What I'm trying to say is that the Author has to try to be unique in order for his/her book to stand out, an example would be the The Percy Jackson Books, A series that I have enjoyed ever since I was a third grader, and still enjoy reading to this day. What Rick Riordan does is that he is really good at writing from a specific point of view in which he can relate to the reader. Instead of other Authors who might stereotype the typical teenager through his/her writing, Rick does much more than that, infact in the books he writes, the chapters are all written from 4 different protagonists points of views, and each of them are unique from each other. As you can see, not only is Rick good at writing from different perspectives, but he's also great at developing great characters that are unique from each other, but have their own special appeal in one way or the other. He also does a great job of writing a great plot which constantly has twists and turns in the least likely places you'd expect them to be, Rick has a done a good job with a appealing characters, engaging plot, and most importantly the thing he added to make his books unique from others, multiple protagonists, where each chapter in the book is narrated by one protagonist at a time, making the plot all the more fun and engaging with plot twists and cliff hangers. Rick Riordan is good at writing from different and multiple perspectives at a time, so he used that to his advantage and added that into his writing to make his books unique and interesting, like I said before, good formula equals good solution.
I believe many things make up a good story. One of those traits is having interesting characters. You need to have characters that's personalities conflict with each other to keep the story moving. Not ones that slow the book down and don't do much. But you also need to feel like you can relate to the characters or connect wit them emotionally. In the book, The Fault In Our Stars, I was extremely attached to Hazel and Augustus even more as the story progressed. Another trait that makes up a good story is like others have said, having suspense within the book. I always love to be on the edge of my seat while reading a book, just waiting to see what will happen next. In the book And Then There Were None, you were always predicting and guessing what would events would occur next because of the suspense building. My last trait that a good story should have is a good plot and conflict. Without these two things, a story wont progress and will keep dragging on, which makes the reader lose interest and desire to read that book. With a plot might come suspense which will drive the story even more.
I think there are many things that make a good story. First of all, they need to make sure the characters are fun and entertaining. If they are all just boring, then the story will most likely be boring as well. They should have a good personality and stories are always better when the reader can relate to the characters. Another reason on what makes a good story is having suspense to it. It is always very exciting when something big happens and you have no idea how everyone will react to it. Some people may pretend to be in the situation and see how they feel about it all. Also, it makes you have to kind of guess on what is going to happen and it keeps you hocked to it so then you know what happens. Lastly, I think one of the most important things is having a theme and a setting. If you don't have a setting, then the reader doesn't know when and where it is taking place. If the book took place in the 1800's, then the story may tell you a little bit on how it was back then. If it doesn't though, then the reader doesn't no anything about it. I think the theme is very important too because the theme tells the reader a message about the book. In the book "Choke" the theme of the book was, if you don't want to do something and you know it's bad but people are pressuring you into it, still don't do it because later on, the guilt will come to you. If I had no idea what the theme of the book was, then I wouldn't know what the writer was trying to get across to people with this book. Some books will teach some people lessons too and they will stay out of trouble then. There are many other ways to make a good story, but I believe those are some of the most important reasons.
I think that what makes up a good story is different in everyone eyes. But to me a really good story only takes a few main things. First a good story should have relatable characters. For me a story is so much more enjoyable if I can put myself in the characters shoes, and really be a part of the story. The next thing a story should have is adventure. A story should make you want to keep reading on after every word. Lastly I believe a good story should have some humor in it. I believe that any good story should make you smile at least once. These are a few things that I believe make a good story.
I like different characters and different points of view. I like "My Sister's Keeper" because each chapter is narrated by a different character. I really like when the author expresses comedy throughout the book. I like with the first chapter introduces the characters, the theme, and the conflicts. Then the rest of the chapters can expand and deepen into the characters, the problems they face and their resolutions.
Goodness gracious, I got here a bit late. I didn't fully read all the comments, but there seems to a be a common idea here. I see a LOT about well-developed characters, suspense, and having a good plot. Those are all great components of a good story! However, only a few people talked about smaller (but still important) things like setting, character quirks, and writing style. Personally, I love characters I can relate to, especially characters that are artists. In the book The Blackhope Enigma and its sequel The Crimson Shard, the two main characters are both artists. They both think the way I do, since most artists have a different way of seeing things. This is reflected in the book and I really like that. Setting is also a part of a good story. Don't forget that setting includes time period along with the location. The Blackhope Enigma and The Crimson Shard have several settings in different time periods and locations, and that helps contribute to the story. If the characters all stayed in the same place and time, it wouldn't make much sense and it would be pretty boring. Finally, writing style is a huge component of a good story, but something that a lot of people look over. Take Lemony Snicket for example. Snicket adds his own commentary in the middle of the story as the narrator. (Another great example of this style is Pseudonymous Bosch.) Other writers like C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien write with very sophisticated vocabulary and add a lot of small details in their writing. They're very descriptive writers. I've also noticed that they use very long, rambling sentences on occasion. Writing style is important because the mood of the story is greatly affected by the attitude with which it is written. If a more modernized, fast paced action story was written with Tolkien's style, it wouldn't seem quite right. That's just my opinion on what makes a good story better.
There are many things that make up a great story. A great story must have a plot with a climax. Within the plot, there are many key elements that should be included such as a conflict and resolution. Most brilliant stories have a conflict, usually with a protagonist and an antagonist. These stories also include a resolution, which then leads into the falling action (what happens after the climax). A great story should also include a message to the reader, that teaches the reader why the book was written and what to take out of it. A great story can be any length, from one page to hundreds of pages. A great story must also make you want to be ready to see what comes next. These are many elements to a great story.
I agree with Kyle K. I believe that in order for a story to be considered "great" it must meet certain criteria. The most important requirement for a great story is the rising action and climax. Although, character development, theme, and dialogue play important roles in the development of a story, I do not view them as the most important. The purpose of the rising action is to compliment the climax. Rising action accomplishes this by creating suspense or drama, encouraging the reader through anticipation of what might happen next. Then, when the climax/resolution is revealed it is intended to be the most memorable part of the book. The climax should also contain the most excitement; it should leave the reader thrilled and possibly bewildered. This occurs often in mystery books, where the reader is fueled with anticipation of what might happen next. Then, they become star-struck at the resolution. For me, a similar situation happened when reading "And Then There Were None".
A great story must somehow be "ahh" inspiring, not to many cliche's or boring already done material just done with different characters. It has to do something other stories don't, that may be a bit hard but it can be done. It has to be somehow unique in its own way, a writer may claim that their idea is "unique" but it may not be. And of course a story must have have the basic story telling materials, like character development, plot buildup and of course the climax. However, a story may contain multiple climax's an example being a character dies, leaves, betrays his friends, A location is destroyed ( that characters may have been sent out to get) something stops the characters from moving on and vice versa. In my opinion stories that have a large character development are the best stories, as some characters you could relate to in real life which could make you like this character more making you more attached to the story and so on. Series like The Walking Dead fit this ( as its the best thing ever :P) as the story is more about the characters than anything else. (and look how popular it is) And of course the story should be likeable by all audiences, be it you're a boy or girl. Also a story could sorta be a cliche' idea but contains ideas you never thought of before, only that way would that redeem the story as not cliche'.
I think what make a story great is the feeling that the author gives to the reader. If someone writes a story and doesn't convey anything to the reader, then I think the story is garbage! Stories are all about impressing the reader and grabbing his/her attention, so if the author doesn't grab the readers attention through the story, its not a great story. It doesn't matter what the author is trying to convey, as long it a cool and unique as BrandonB mentioned it's a great story. In conclusion, there are many components that lead to a great story, but I think the author conveying a message is one of the most important.
I think that a good story has to have to have a good title. I say this because even though people say to not judge a book by its cover I know that everyone does. It also has to have an interesting blurb on the inside flap. This will make it a good story because a lot of people read that. this is what makes a good story in my opinion.
A good short story should have a relative character that the reader can relate to. This character should have characteristics that make the reader feel connected and feel more invested into the story. I also agree with Drew about how a story should have a good title. Thought the title should reflect on what the story is about is should be eye catching and make the reader want to read. These are just a couple of thing I believe a short story should have in them.
Just like Caleb L., I was also constantly making predictions on who the murderer was in the book "And Then There Were None", because of the well developed characters and unique story line. I believe that a good story has a well developed plot that keeps you reading and gets the reader "hooked." For example, I read the story "If I Stay" by Gayle Forman over the summer. The story is one of my favorites because of the big plot and interesting story line. Like Nikki V. said, some of the best books are the shorter ones, and I couldn't agree more! "If I Stay" is only about 250 pages and it still has such a great story line! I love books that are quick reads and that have action and emotion packed into them. Also, I think good reads involve descriptive writing, so it's easy to envision what's happening.
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I think one component of a good story is one that efficiently builds the world and characters. A lot of people think that a good story needs to be thousands of pages long, which is false. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart is an excellent example of efficient but still descriptive writing and development of setting and characters. The book is only 200-ish pages long, but with E. Lockhart there is never a dull moment and you learn something new in every sentence. I don't want to give too much away, but the the author describes Gat as "ambition and strong coffee". Her description of each of the characters is unique and has stuck with me. One of my favorite lines from the book is when Cadence's dad walks out on her and her mom. They stand in the driveway and Cadence says, "Then he pulled out a handgun and shot me in the chest. I was standing on the lawn and I fell. The bullet hole opened wide and my heart rolled out of my rib cage and down into a flower bed." This excerpt is an example of the effective writing by Lockhart. She could have chose to go on and on about how she was heartbroken and devasted, filling pages with grief-stricken thoughts. Instead, she used a metaphor(that makes you go back and think- wait, wait??) that was able to convey the message in just a few sentences.
ReplyDeleteWOW, Nikki V! I couldn't have imagined a better answer. Especially since we are about to begin our *short* story unit, I like that you have noted that length doesn't determine story quality. Also, I love that you've picked up on the importance of diction(word choice). This thoughtful and thorough comment doesn't surprise me one bit because your About Me Essay was one of the most creative, revealing, and memorable that I read. Thank you for starting this conversation with such a fabulous answer and model comment!
DeleteI totally agree, Nikki V. The description of characters really helps me determine if a story is great. One book that I believe also describes all of the characters very well is And Then There Were None. Each character has a unique personality that is clearly portrayed throughout the book using dialogue, flashbacks, descriptive words, etc. She also uses the third person omniscient point of view to help the reader understand what each character is feeling/thinking. Towards the end of the book, Agatha Christie uses this point of view to describe how Vera Claythorne is feeling when she comes to the realization that she is all alone. Although some may disagree, I thought that Agatha Christie wrote the book in such a way that caused me difficulty to put the book down! Along with character description, I think that another element that makes a story great is when it has a theme that the reader can easily can connect to. Does anyone know of any books that contain that component?
DeleteTo answer Sophie M.'s question, Looking For Alaska by John Green is a great book with many relatable themes. For example, one is unrequited love is not as valid as mutual love. The love Miles feels for Alaska (don't worry, this is revealed in the first three chapters) is not as deep as Alaska and Jake's love. This is relatable because we've all had a crush on someone who didn't like you back, and we all know how that feels, so it makes Miles a more relatable character.
DeleteWhat I think makes a great story is a well built plot. You can have the best, roundest, most perfect characters, and the greatest, most relatable theme but if you don't have a storyline what good is that? A good example of a story with a well built plot is House of the Scorpion. I haven't been reading it for long but MAN is it good. It has such an interesting concept and that's what keeps me going in a book. If the actual story doesn't capture your attention, then what should?
I agree with Nikki V. too. It does not have to be a long book/story to be good. I have read some books that are half the size of other books and I like the shorter book better then longer books. What really makes a story good is if it is about a subject that interests you. It could be different for everyone. Right now i am reading Pretenders. I really like it but if you don't like realistic fiction then you probably will not like it. I believe that a good book is something that intersects you and makes you not want to put the book down. I think that it is perfectly fine if this is different for everyone. All that should matter is if you enjoy it.
DeleteThank you, girls, for giving me confidence that blogging is going to be a great tool for our class this year. You will never understand the joy I experienced as your comments came in on the 10th to be moderated.
DeleteNat K. - I'm curious as to what you mean by "something that intersects you."
I think what makes a good story is dialogue to show the characters emotions and feelings throughout the novel. I believe dialogue is important to show how characters communicate with each other and how they feel about one another. For example, in And Then There Were None, Agatha Christie uses dialogue to show how each character is feeling when one person after another keeps dying. This is why I believe dialogue is what makes stories and novels great.
ReplyDeleteHi! I am in complete agreement with Dirk N about how dialogue is very important to create a great story. The dialogue in And Then There Were None was also exceptional because it showed the time period that the novel was written in. Not too recently, but in 1939. Another element to a story that makes it great is suspense or when the author is always keeping you on the edge of your seat. One of my favorite books of all time is The Child Called "It" written by David Peltzer who in fact is the child called "It". He was abused by his mom as a young boy but grew up into someone who was strong enough to process his hardships, write about them, help out many people who have problems similar to his as a child at their home and touch the ones who relate but have not gone through the same things. I could not put down the book because I just had to know what was going to happen to Dave next, and when he was going to stand up for himself. In this novel dialogue was also created well. What made it even better was that is was written first hand by the person talking in the novel themselve. Dialogue and suspense aren't the only elements that add to a wonderful story. There are many more, but in my opinion these are two of the most important.
DeleteI like a story with a satisfactory ending that leaves the reader wondering just enough, while also tying up all loose ends neatly. When the plot development slows down to a stop, that is where the story should end, because a lot of stories drag on and on just for the sake of dragging on and on. An example of a good ending is in the book Holes by Louis Sachar. Sachar finishes the story about the main plot, which is the most important. He leaves the rest to the readers' imaginations, the parts of the story that didn't play a big role in the plot, but still were nice additions. I also think the best stories are the simplest stories that don't use fluff to get the main points across. It defeats the purpose of the story a lot of times. Overall, I think the contents of a story should be simple and satisfactory.
ReplyDeleteWhat makes a good story is something with a great conflict, climax, hook, and resolution. Also something that makes a great story is something with a gray mystery in suspense like in the story by Laurie Halse Anderson called Speak. The Protagonist Melinda gives off clear signs that she has been through some kind of traumatic experience that's clearly to hard to say. The author only gives off at least three clues to the protagonist traumatic experience 1. Being that she was in eighth grade 2. The protagonist Melinda was at a high school party 3. There was a guy involved that the protagonist refers to as "The Beast". Speak was a story of suspense and mystery because, you didn't know what happened to Melinda the protagonist. " I want to hear him scream. I look up. I see the stubble on his chin, a fleck of white in the corner of his mouth. His lips are paralyzed. He cannot speak. That's good enough. Me: "I said no" (120 Anderson).
ReplyDeleteA good story should have a good hook. The author should want to pull the reader into their story and make them want to keep reading. Not only that, a good story needs to continue on with a good plot. What makes the reader want to read the story in the first place? To conclude the story, the author should end it according to the mood. Some authors may want the reader to continue on with the book themselves so they end with a cliffhanger or they might end the story with a description that tells the reader what happens but not everything. Conclusions should make the reader feel satisfactory but allows the reader to create their own endings as well.
ReplyDeleteIn the book Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom, the author pulls the reader in by starting off with a flashback. He then continues on with the plot about one of his college professors being diagnosed with ALS. It isn't until twenty years after college and the disease, that the two reunite. From there, they embark on a journey through life, love, and ultimately, death.
I agree with Nikki V. Stories should not be based on length. It has always been a misconception. People always assume that a longer story is always the better one. Sometimes, a descriptive sentence can be much more effective and intense than a paragraph.
I agree with Selena that a good story should have a good plot and also that the conclusion should have a mood that relates. To build on earlier comments I think good characterization is vital to a story. A good story should have characters that are well developed with backgrounds and unique personalities to increase the interest of the reader. Different stories span a wide variety of genres so different elements may apply to different genres. I read a lot of mystery books so I think a crucial element to a good mystery story is suspense. Good books with suspense always keep the reader engaged almost if as they were in the story. A major feature of a good story is its ability to cause the reader to infer and make a prediction of what will happen almost unintentionally. This shows the reader is thinking a lot about the story and analyzing the facts. In the book "And Then There Were None" I was constantly making predictions who the killer was because of the unique character traits each character had. In conclusion a great story should have well developed characters and elements essential to the genre (for mystery books I think suspense).
DeleteGreat points, Caleb L! I completely agree with you.
DeleteI think a good story should have good character development because it is hard to read a story without well thought out characters. Since characters are a big part of a story, poorly thought out and developed characters would ruin the book. There should also be a major conflict that a protagonist is trying to solve or fix with antagonists trying to stop them. Every book needs a conflict because it shows how characters develop through the conflict, and it makes a story interesting. Imagine how boring And Then There Were None would be without people dying. It should also, like Selena wrote, hook the reader in. A lot of good stories keep people reading for hours when they only think it has been minutes. The plot is also an important part of the story because without a plot, there is no story. It should make the reader think they are apart of the story and make the reader feel emotions based on plot twists. Good dialog and character thoughts also makes a great story because readers want to know what the character is saying or thinking. Without dialog, a book would be pretty boring because no one would be talking or showing any emotion towards other characters. Finally, a good book should have a conclusion that wraps up the book, or in a series, ends on cliffhanger to make the reader want to read the next book.
ReplyDeleteI believe that many things can make up a great story. One thing that makes a story great is when you can't put a book down. It means that the story is compelling and has pulled you in, making reading fun instead of boring or unappealing. Another thing that makes a great story is a strong beginning, middle, and end. It keeps you hooked in without having any down parts that might keep you from wanting to read on. Also good characters are key to a great story. I like it when the author give the characters special personalities and help you connects to the book. I also enjoy a book with a interesting plot, one that has you wanting to read more and more to find out what happens next. I also enjoy stories with plot twists that catch you by surprise and it adds to the excitement of a book. Descriptive writing is also important to a great story. It helps give you visuals on what is happening in a book.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Delaney there should definitely be a good character throughout the book. There are many things that make up a good story. A good story should have a good plot that makes the reader want to read more. It should impact you in a good way and sometimes, it would be good if you could relate to the character too. The story should build as it goes and have an exciting climax that gets you hooked on the book to keep reading. Also, there should be a good setting that relates to the story and it should influence the characters actions. Most of all, there should be a good theme that hopefully helps our own lives. It should be organized so the reader doesn't get confused while reading, and I also agree with Nikki that a good story doesn't have to be a thousand pages, it could be short and still be enjoyable. There are many aspect of making a good story, and these are just a few of them.
DeletePersonally I think a story with well described characters makes the story the best. I think this because well described characters can make the reader understand the characters more and sometimes the story too! Characters that are really well put can make readers love the story because they want to see a character who they really love and see what they do next. For example, in the book Things I can't Forget, I fell in love with the characters. Miranda Kenneally described the characters in such an amazing way, I always wanted to see what Kate the main character was going to do next in her decision making. I felt as if I was really in the book with them because I could really connect with the characters and how well they were described. The characters were the reason I really loved the book. In conclusion a story with well described characters is what makes a great story.
ReplyDeleteI want to read your choice book, Wildsnowman! Good points, too!
DeleteMany elements make up a great read. Some traits of a good book are an interesting plot, developed characters, an intense conflict, an amazing climax, imagery, and a good ending. My soft spot for stories is when the author makes you become that character, and makes your opinions in the book change as you read more. An example of this is in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. The author changes you into Elizabeth Bennet, and you start to view things from her perspective more and more. Next, she starts to add characters, such as Mr. Darcy, and Mr. Collins. Elizabeth thinks Darcy is a snotty, rich, and arrogant fellow. As she gets to know him better, she starts to notice that he's not as mean as she thought. Eventually, Darcy becomes a compassionate, kind man who cares for other people more than he does himself. One of my favorite elements of this personality change is how Darcy starts as an antagonist, and becomes the best protagonist you could ever dream of!
ReplyDeleteAnother part of a story that I like is a surprise ending. In Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, I was on the edge of my seat throughout the novel. I had no idea that the murderer was one of the characters, let alone the character who I thought was one of the most innocent. Not only did Christie show how Wargrave did it, but she explained his motives which I found surprising. When a book has a surprise at the end, and a change in perspective, you know it's a good read.
Original and interesting response! You really put some thought into this, Anne. Well done!
DeleteMy idea of a great story is when the author is very descriptive so I can imagine it in my head. I like to be able to try an imagine what the characters look like and what is happening in the story. Also when the author shows the mood of the story and characters through out the whole book. I personally like books that leave you hanging at the end of each chapter so you have to keep reading till you finish the book. I think its interesting when books have a little crime in them, it makes me keep reading wondering if the person who is committing the crime gets away with it or if someone gets hurt to see if they are okay. I personally think a hooking book with a little crime are good stories.
ReplyDeleteThere are many components to a good story. A good story should "grab the readers by their collars," as in the story cannot be boring. In my opinion, when you can't put a book down then it is a good book. An example of that is the whole Divergent series because the author, Veronica Roth, makes you feel like you are in the story. When you read the book Divergent, you are transformed into the world of Tris and you feel like you are her. I agree with what Delaney said, the characters should be good as well because I don't want to be reading a book with boring characters even if the topic interests me. Another book that really portrayed all of these components is The Fault In Our Stars. First of all, the book "grabbed me by my collar," I absolutely couldn't put it down! The character were great and one of my favorite quotes of all time, "You put the killing thing between your teeth, but you don't give it the power to do its killing." Augustus Water stated that quote in the book and he had a great personality, so he is an example of a good character. Sometimes I feel like the characters in the books I read are real because the author does a great job of making their traits to real life peoples traits, which is something I really like. In the end a boom should have a great hook , like Selena stated, and it should contain good character, and that is a good read in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteOkay, I obviously need to read "Divergent." Everyone keeps talking about it. (I've already read TFIOS)
DeleteI agree with all the previous comments! It truly is the development and presentation of characters that make a story good. I would also like to add how important the mood of a story is and the emotional reactions it gives the reader. A great story allows the reader to become emotionally involved with the story. It allows the reader to laugh when there is comedy, cry when theres sadness, and smile when there's hope. This leaves a character to feel like their in the story and feeling what the characters are. For example, I became very emotionally attached to the story and it characters in the book The Fault In Our Stars by John Green. It was a book that made me happy and warm inside watching the characters fall in love and share a few laughs together. It made me feel sad when a character got hurt and happy when a character was brought with great news. I enjoyed the emotion it gave me so much that I did not want to put the book down. The emotion of love and hurt made the largest affect on me. I found my self crying while reading the ending. A character dies and so the mood and emotion I was getting was sadness and hurt. I felt like I was the character feeling these emotions.
ReplyDeleteI like that you chose and elaborated on the importance of mood. I, too, think it is overlooked sometimes but is SO incredibly important. Well said!
DeleteWhile there are many components to a compelling narrative, I believe that what makes an exceptional story is a powerful theme that allows the reader to receive a message in the form of a tale. This use of a theme can make a book more intriguing and often times inspiring. In my opinion, a story in which a moral can be taken away upon reading the composition is a story worth reading. An excellent theme is often driven by profound characters whom propel the plot forward and ultimately learn a lesson by course of events. Character development and rich personalities are also important to a compelling story. When a reader can emphatically sense the emotions that a character displays and is able to view the story from the character's perspective, it makes the reading experience more enjoyable. Being able to see a character grow throughout the course of the story sparks interest to the plot, leaving the reader to want to find out what new challenges and conflicts are presented as the story progress, and how the character may respond to these events. One example of a book that displays both the components of theme and characterization well is The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. The trilogy has at least a dozen themes integrated into the plot, some more evident than others. The themes of the story are not directly given, but are beautifully displayed through the acts and personality of the many great characters involved. I and countless others admire this book for its stunning themes of courage, self-sacrifice, hope, resistance of temptation, the battle over good and evil, and friendship. The characters all have such a fascinating personality which makes it easy to make connections to them and mentally live in the world in which they are. So to conclude, inspiring themes and interesting character traits, along with other components, can accomplish a fantastic story that is truly enjoyable to read.
ReplyDeleteVery well said, Brett. You describe the importance of theme eloquently.
DeleteI believe that a good story must have some important traits. First of all, you need a character who you an easily relate to. That way you can really immerse yourself in the story. You also need an interesting conflict and resolution, and that definition of interesting can vary for different people. Also, you need antagonists, in order to add more to the story with a possible side-story. One example of this is in the book Mr. Mercedes where there is a murder, and a cop. We get the first person view of each of the characters in different chapters. This really makes it interesting because you know information that the characters don't know, and know what they should and shouldn't do. For example, we learn that Mr. Mercedes (the antagonist) is planning to be a suicide bomber at a concert, and plans to kill and injure 100's of people. But we know that Detective Hodges has no idea that he plans to do that. Another thing that a good story needs is a lot of what the reader wants. For example if it is a romance book, then thats what the reader wants compared to if it is a thriller. I feel that all of these things make up a good story.
ReplyDeleteI agree completely with Anne and think those are all things that make a good story! I personally think that just the amount of emotion a story has can make it great! I really enjoy sad books. I love the way they can can touch/ move you. An example of this is the book Wonder. This story is about a young boy with special needs named Augusts. He is entering his first year in middle school and this is the first time going to a a public school. Right away many of the kids bully him or ignore him because he looks different. As the story progresses he meets two other kids who then become his friends. They stick up for him and don't judge him based on his looks. This story was just filled with so much emotion and it was truly inspiring.
ReplyDeleteI think I'd like to read that book, too!
DeleteGoing off from the very first comment, a short story cannot be boring, it MUST build on the world, setting, characters, and everything else involved. Also, there must be a great theme or message or even a moral to the story, so the reader can take something away from the story. Also, it neeDS A GOOD MESSAGE because if not, the reader was wasting his or hers time on reading something with no meaning. That is what makes a good short story.
ReplyDeleteI think there are many components to a good story. A good story must "grab the readers by their collars," as in the story cannot be boring. In my opinion, if a book is good, then it would be a book I wouldn't be able to put down. An example of this would be the whole Divergent series. When you read Divergent, you are transformed into the world of Tris, and you feel like you are in the story. I agree with Delaney, a good book must contain good characters. I wouldn't want to read a book with not so great characters even if the topic interests me. A book that has great characters would be The Fault In Our Stars. Augustus Waters stated my favorite quote of all time: " You put the killing thing right between you teeth, but don't give it the power to do its killing." Augustus waters had a great personality, and I almost felt like he was a real person not a fictional character. In conclusion a book should have a good hook, and a good characters
ReplyDeleteI believe that there are many different traits that a story can have in order to be good. For one, I always look for interesting characters. For example, in Looking For Alaska, certain characters in a group all have interesting nicknames such as "pudge" and "colonel". I was immediatly drawn into the book when I read these nicknames. It makes you want to know where these nicknames came from and if it has to do with their personality. Being drawn in is another trait to a good story, as well as keeping the reader interested. Another trait that I look for in a story is the conflict. The conflict should keep the reader in suspense until the end of the story. There are many other components making up a good story, and these are just a few that I look for in a good story.
ReplyDeleteI think what makes a good story is how the author describes the characters. If you really get to know the characters and how they feel or what they like to do the story will be better. In one of my favorite books The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan I feel like he introduced Percy Jackson really good and now that's probably my favorite series to read. I believe introducing and describing the characters is big in what makes a great story.
ReplyDeleteI am in agreement with Tommy W. Getting to know your characters is what turns a good book to great. My favorite series, Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer, is great introducing Theo. I feel very connected to him and relate very easily also. I always am excited for the next book because of the connection I have grown with Theo. It's always more interesting to follow and grow with characters you can relate with. Also, I feel it very important to understand the side characters as well. I feel that most authors don't make very strong connections and relations with there side characters. If you can make great connections with all characters, your book will have already have the start of becomings a great story.
DeleteThere are many reasons that can improve the quality of a story, both short or long. The biggest one is that the reader has to be inclined to read the work he/she wants to. For example: if you have someone who likes fantasy and reads a book about Liberalism (politics), they're not really going to want to read it and therefore probably won't like it because it doesn't appeal to them. It also is important that a story has a plot that doesn't go off of what it is trying to do. I remember at a few points in The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe, the author had one thing going on, and the next part seemed pretty random. At one point the protagonists are sitting in a war camp, and in next chapter it starts with them fighting a battle without the author building on them in the camp or introducing the battle in any way. The story needs to progressively get from point "A" to point "B". Finally, a story needs to be descriptive of the characters and their environment, but a mix of direct and indirect characterization. "Bob was fat. Bob was bored. Bob was tired." is just flat out boring, whereas with "Bob had eaten a lot in his lifetime and has felt the consequences of such later. Bob had nothing to do that he could enjoy and didn't know what he should do. Bob flopped down on the couch because he was depleted of energy." is some kind of riddle that the reader has to decode. The author needs to put in description where appropriate and not always the same way, but rather by mixing it up a little. Out of many, these are just scratching the surface of components of a good book, however, I've found that I can pull myself to enjoy books that have these (and a few other) characteristics.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your thoughtful and original comment, Sheldon!
DeleteThere are many characteristics of a good story, but one that stands out to me most is a strong plot, and suspense about the characters. I love when the author uses suspense to create characters with mystery, and draws you in wanting to learn more about the story. In my choice book I just got from the library, Just Listen, the characters have a lot of suspense and mystery about them that makes me interested and makes mew want to read more into the story, to figure out what has happened in their past experiences. Another characteristic of a good story is a page turner. I love when a book has a huge amount of detail, that makes me want to keep reading. Books are the best when you can't peel your eyes away from the page, and want to just keep reading! There are so many more characteristics that create an awesome story, but these two are the ones I enjoy most!
ReplyDeleteI am in agreement with just about all of the comments before me. There are a lot of things that go into making a story really good. I enjoy a story when it has meaning and can make you reflect on things that will stay relevant for an endless amount of time. Those kinds of things would be bravery, redemption, hope, and liberty. Words like that are so common that they seem to lose meaning a lot. When you read a story that can bring life back to those words, it is really inspiring. This is displayed really well in the book Les Miserables. If you take the idea of liberty for instance, Victor Hugo really goes in depth with the background story of the students who organized the rebellion against the french king. By knowing so much about these characters and what their beliefs are, you really feel a connection to them and their struggle for freedom. Liberty is now an actual idea with true meaning rather than a word used so many times that people forget about what is really behind that word. Being able to do something as huge as that will really make a book stand out in my mind.
ReplyDeleteBeautifully thoughtful answer, Annie! Thank you for this comment.
DeleteI thnk what makes a good story is a setting. If the setting is describe good it paints a picture in the readers mind. Also how the author descirbes the main characters, That's really important because it shows how the character is and their personaliy and how that would change or effect them in the story. A good story shoTuld have an interesting story to it. It should get the readers attention and wanting them to keep reading. In the book The Fault In Our Stars the story and the main idea ( message) was great. The author was very descriptive.
ReplyDeleteI agree with everyone's comments on what makes a good story. I feel like the most important traits are, character descriptions and having the book be a real page turner. There is nothing more important than understanding the characters. You need to know how they handle situations. And Then There Were None is a great example of having good character descriptions. It gave you a little background of each character and then it showed you how they reacted once they were confronted about the murders. This helped you predict how they were going to act in the situations going on in the book. You could also think about how they would react in other real life situations. I personally cannot stand books that don't have me hooked 100%. I need to be able to sit down and know that I am not going to want to stop reading. The worst is when you know you have to read, but you don't like the book. Everyone should want to read a book, therefore you need to make books entertaining and exciting, with a lot of energy. There are so many great things that make up a good story, I just think those two are very important.
ReplyDeleteI totally felt this way, too, until I took a college course that taught me the pleasure of struggling through a really difficult book. It is surprisingly rewarding in the end. :)
DeleteI agree with all the comments posted. There are many different key elements to a good story; however I believe that in order to be a really good story it needs a mix of as many good aspects as possible. You may have a very good hook, but without a good plot your reader is going to be let down. Without a really good hook, your plot may be undiscovered if your readers lose interest. There's so many thing you need to pay attention to characters, setting, plot, conflict, hook, theme, mood, suspense, foreshadowing, ect. That's why you really need a well balanced book in order for it to be good. An example of a book that follows this would be "And Then There Were None" this is because it quickly gets into the conflict while describing all the characters. As you can see adding in a mixture of properties like these make the best story.
ReplyDeleteGood point! My mother always taught me to use moderation in almost every aspect of my life, so your comment resonates with me.
DeleteI believe every story should contain humor thoughout the book. Humor keeps the reader entertained and awake during the slow parts of the book. In my favorite book- Pride & Popularity by Jenni James- Kylie and Chole are in an argument and in the midst of it all Chole brings in a little humor to keep things interesting. "You just told me he asked you, and you just told me I was lying about him asking me. So if he has already asked you to prom and you're certain I'm lying, then why are you here, Kylie?" This quote made me even more engaged in the story (if that was even possible) All in all all stories should have a little humor in them I keep the reader smiling.
ReplyDeleteThe title of the book and the quote have me intrigued! Now I want to read it. :)
DeleteThere are many parts that make a great story. One of the main things that I look for in a good story;however, is an interesting plot, that stays consistent throughout the story. The plot can be developed by many ideas, like characters. Characters that are well built and have a lot of impact in a story can help a plot become more interesting. A story that exemplifies this is the 13 Treasures trilogy by Michelle Harrison. Two of the main characters, Tanya and Red, show strong traits of love, friendship, effort, and hard work. Since these traits are so evident in the characters, it helps the propel the plot, and give it excitement. The characters' actions have many outcomes that turns the plot in many ways. In conclusion, plot and characters have a great part in shaping a good story.
ReplyDeleteTo make a story great, you have to consist of the following...
ReplyDeleteFirst, I definitely agree with Selena D. A good story must have a good and catching hook to draw the reader’s attention. I think that because if a story does not have a good and drawing hook, the readers would get bored and wouldn't want to read the story. When the reader is beginning to read a story, they don’t know if it will be good. So if the beginning isn’t good, then the reader would just put that story down and choose another one. For example, the book And Then There Were None By: Agatha Christie, did not have a good and drawing hook. So I (the reader) got extremely bored. If it wasn't a summer reading book, I might as well not have read the book. So it is important to have a good hook that grabs the reader.
Second, a good story must contain a unique and exciting plot. Also, the plot must be compelling to make the story interesting. If the plot is the same as every average story, then the reader would know that the story would be similar and would not want to read that certain story. In contrast, having an exciting plot draws the reader in and makes the reader begging for more. Michael Vey: The prisoner of cell 25 is an example with a story with a good plot. It starts out with Michael having super powers, and then it continues with his mom getting kidnapped and finally ends with him saving his mom using his powers. The plot of that story was very unique and creative so it drew me in. Those kinds of plots are plots that writers want when they are writing a story, and also what readers want when they are reading the story.
Third, as Caleb L said, a good story must contain good characterization and description. It should contain good characterization in order to tell the reader about the characters. It is very important for readers to know the character because if they didn’t, then the reader would not know how the character would feel. Adding to that readers get bored and confused if the story doesn't contain good characterization and so, they would not read the story. However, if the story does have good characteristics, then the story is fun to read and easy to understand. An example is the book And Then There Were None. Agatha Christie did a really good job of giving good character descriptions so I was able to enjoy the book and I knew how the character would feel in a certain situation. It makes the reader understand the story better.
That is what I think makes a story good.
Wow! What a thorough answer. Thank you for organizing your answer into smaller paragraphs. It seems simple, but it is a huge help. :) Nice answer!
DeleteI too agree with several of theses blogs and ideas of what everyone thinks creates a great story. I think just as many others do too, that suspense is one of the great elements to create a fabulous story. Suspense is important to creating a great story because is always leaves you wanting to know what is going to happen, and makes you want to keep reading. I agree with laxislife that good stories have characters that you can relate and know a lot about because it can help engage in the reading. If you don't know much about a character or don't care about that character then when something happens to them it is not as exciting if you don't really care about them. Lastly, I think having a interesting conflict is important in creating a great story. This is important in a story because if there isn't an interesting conflict the whole story would be boring! These are just a couple of the many things I think need to be incorporated to make a good story.
ReplyDeleteTo make a story great, you have to consist of the following...
ReplyDeleteFirst, I definitely agree with Selena D. A good story must have a good and catching hook to draw the reader’s attention. I think that because if a story does not have a good and drawing hook, then the readers get bored and don’t read the story. When the reader is beginning to read a story, they don’t know if the book will be good. So if the beginning isn’t good, then the reader would just put that story down and choose another one. For example, the book And Then There Were None By: Agatha Christie, did not have a good and drawing hook. So I (the reader) got extremely bored. If it wasn't a summer reading book, I might as well not have read the book.
Second, a good story must contain a unique and exciting plot. Also, the plot must be compelling to make the story interesting. If the plot is the same as every average story, then the reader would know that the story would be similar and would not want to read that certain story. In contrast, having an exciting plot draws the reader in and makes the reader begging for more. Michael Vey: The prisoner of cell 25 is an example with a story with a good plot. It starts out with Michael having super powers, and then it continues with his mom getting kidnapped and finally ends with him saving his mom using his powers. The plot of that story was very unique and creative so it drew me in. Those kinds of plots are plots that writers want when they are writing a story, and also what readers want when they are reading the story.
Third, as Caleb L said, a good story must contain good characterization and description. It should contain good characterization in order to tell the reader about the characters. It is very important for readers to know the character because if they didn’t, then the reader would not know how the character would feel. Adding to that readers get bored and confused if the story doesn't contain good characterization and so, they would not read the story. However, if the story does have good characteristics, then the story is fun to read and easy to understand. An example is the book And Then There Were None. Agatha Christie did a really good job of giving good character descriptions so I was able to enjoy the book and I knew how the character would feel in a certain situation. It makes the reader understand the story better.
That is what I think makes a story good.
I think what makes a good story is that the novel lasts a long time with you. This could be a style of writing choice used, "To Kill A Mockingbird"(I don't know how to underline) is one of my favorite books because of the writing style used. The English used in the book is much different than that used today, Calpurnia tells Scout, "There's some folks who don't eat like us...but you ain't called on to contradict 'em at the table when they don't. That boy's yo' comp'ny and if he wants to eat up the table cloth you let him, you hear?" This style of writing has stuck with me and it made this book unique for me. It could also be the characters. The characters that are dealing with the same situations as you make the book more enjoyable and memorable. The characters that are unique also make a compelling narrative. In "The Hunger Games", Katniss is a poor girl who lives in a poor civilization who is a good archer and survives the Hunger Games. In my extensive list of books that I have read, there has been no other character like her . Also, something that can make a book last for you is the setting. Whether that is on a deserted island, a jungle, or a city, a boring setting will not make a compelling novel.
ReplyDeleteGreat answer, Camden! I, too, believe that the best stories are the stories that stay with you for a long time. I still remember how various books made me feel and changed my life throughout high school and college. I know that some stories became a part of me and a part of who I am today.
DeleteThere are many components that make a great story. The best stories have strong characters, a fascinating setting and a rememberable theme. When a story has strong characters, you connect with them. In my favorite book, The Fault in Our Stars, I got attached to Hazel Grace and Augustus so much that I read the book two more times. A memorable theme is another great component to have in a story. The theme should let the reader take a moral lesson from the story and apply it to their own life. Also, the setting is an important role in a great story. If the reader can visualize the events in the book clearly, it will connect with them more than a book that they couldn't visualize. Setting also sets a mood on the book, whether it's a rainy, dark day or a warm, sunny summer day. Having a strong setting, theme and characters are all components for making a great story.
ReplyDeleteOne way I survived English classes throughout high school and college is by finding something to relate to in everything I read. It wasn't always easy, but I do think that it made me a better reader. It is a great skill to have!
DeleteThere are many features a good story should have but one important thing to include is a plot. If a story doesn't have a plot then the reader reading the story will be confused and will most likely not have a good outlook on the book. In the book A Child Called It by Dave Pelzer, there is a rising action, climax, and resolution even though it's a nonfiction book. The rising action is when the abuse his mother is giving him is getting worse and worse. The climax is when Fave realizes that he will live through this and he will be saved and that courage in his mind kept him alive. Lastly, the resolution is when the teachers and principal at his elementary school realized that Dave is in a terrible condition and is barely hanging on by a string so they tell the local police station and Dave is finally saved. A good story also needs to have a setting because without a setting the reader will be confused as much as when there isn't a plot line.
ReplyDeleteFor me, it does not take a lot to make a good story. Like many others have said, suspense is a key component to a good story. If a story doesn't make you want to keep turning the pages, it is incredibly easy to get board with. Another thing that makes a good story is conflict. Who has ever heard of a good story with no conflict? And the only way to make a conflict really work well is to have good characters. What would be the point of the protagonist being in danger if you don't care about them? Lastly, you must be descriptive. When a book is descriptive you almost forget that you are reading a book at all. It feels like you are watching TV in your brain. All of the most popular books today have these qualities.
ReplyDelete"TV in your brain"! I love it!!
Deletewhat I believe to be a good story is basically like a formula, if you get all the correct components and plug them in all the right places, you'll end up with a fine solution... In this case a good plot which always keeps the reader engaged, sentences that make the reader think, and nice characters that are appealing to the the reader in every aspect(more or less). I believe that this is so because from my past experience with books, the ones that I enjoy reading have a very well thought out plot which was designed to engage the reader's interest in finding out what's going to happen next, such as cliff hangers for example. These are all basic things that are all writers hopefully know and base their writing's structures upon. However, for a book to be truly be good, it all depends on how or in which way the writer specifically went about writing his or her story, it is this part right here that makes a book stand out from others. There is more than one way to find a correct solution, you don't have to always follow the standard algorithm/formula, it all depends on how you anticipate it, if you change around the formula to get the same solution, or if you use a different formula all together or add things here and there. What I'm trying to say is that the Author has to try to be unique in order for his/her book to stand out, an example would be the The Percy Jackson Books, A series that I have enjoyed ever since I was a third grader, and still enjoy reading to this day. What Rick Riordan does is that he is really good at writing from a specific point of view in which he can relate to the reader. Instead of other Authors who might stereotype the typical teenager through his/her writing, Rick does much more than that, infact in the books he writes, the chapters are all written from 4 different protagonists points of views, and each of them are unique from each other. As you can see, not only is Rick good at writing from different perspectives, but he's also great at developing great characters that are unique from each other, but have their own special appeal in one way or the other. He also does a great job of writing a great plot which constantly has twists and turns in the least likely places you'd expect them to be, Rick has a done a good job with a appealing characters, engaging plot, and most importantly the thing he added to make his books unique from others, multiple protagonists, where each chapter in the book is narrated by one protagonist at a time, making the plot all the more fun and engaging with plot twists and cliff hangers. Rick Riordan is good at writing from different and multiple perspectives at a time, so he used that to his advantage and added that into his writing to make his books unique and interesting, like I said before, good formula equals good solution.
ReplyDeleteI really, really like your formula analogy.
DeleteOkay, I give in. I obviously need to read the Percy Jackson books, too!
I believe many things make up a good story. One of those traits is having interesting characters. You need to have characters that's personalities conflict with each other to keep the story moving. Not ones that slow the book down and don't do much. But you also need to feel like you can relate to the characters or connect wit them emotionally. In the book, The Fault In Our Stars, I was extremely attached to Hazel and Augustus even more as the story progressed. Another trait that makes up a good story is like others have said, having suspense within the book. I always love to be on the edge of my seat while reading a book, just waiting to see what will happen next. In the book And Then There Were None, you were always predicting and guessing what would events would occur next because of the suspense building. My last trait that a good story should have is a good plot and conflict. Without these two things, a story wont progress and will keep dragging on, which makes the reader lose interest and desire to read that book. With a plot might come suspense which will drive the story even more.
ReplyDeleteI think there are many things that make a good story. First of all, they need to make sure the characters are fun and entertaining. If they are all just boring, then the story will most likely be boring as well. They should have a good personality and stories are always better when the reader can relate to the characters. Another reason on what makes a good story is having suspense to it. It is always very exciting when something big happens and you have no idea how everyone will react to it. Some people may pretend to be in the situation and see how they feel about it all. Also, it makes you have to kind of guess on what is going to happen and it keeps you hocked to it so then you know what happens. Lastly, I think one of the most important things is having a theme and a setting. If you don't have a setting, then the reader doesn't know when and where it is taking place. If the book took place in the 1800's, then the story may tell you a little bit on how it was back then. If it doesn't though, then the reader doesn't no anything about it. I think the theme is very important too because the theme tells the reader a message about the book. In the book "Choke" the theme of the book was, if you don't want to do something and you know it's bad but people are pressuring you into it, still don't do it because later on, the guilt will come to you. If I had no idea what the theme of the book was, then I wouldn't know what the writer was trying to get across to people with this book. Some books will teach some people lessons too and they will stay out of trouble then. There are many other ways to make a good story, but I believe those are some of the most important reasons.
ReplyDeleteI think that what makes up a good story is different in everyone eyes. But to me a really good story only takes a few main things. First a good story should have relatable characters. For me a story is so much more enjoyable if I can put myself in the characters shoes, and really be a part of the story. The next thing a story should have is adventure. A story should make you want to keep reading on after every word. Lastly I believe a good story should have some humor in it. I believe that any good story should make you smile at least once. These are a few things that I believe make a good story.
ReplyDeleteNext time, can you comment without your full name? Thanks!
DeleteI like different characters and different points of view. I like "My Sister's Keeper" because each chapter is narrated by a different character. I really like when the author expresses comedy throughout the book. I like with the first chapter introduces the characters, the theme, and the conflicts. Then the rest of the chapters can expand and deepen into the characters, the problems they face and their resolutions.
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DeleteGoodness gracious, I got here a bit late. I didn't fully read all the comments, but there seems to a be a common idea here. I see a LOT about well-developed characters, suspense, and having a good plot. Those are all great components of a good story! However, only a few people talked about smaller (but still important) things like setting, character quirks, and writing style. Personally, I love characters I can relate to, especially characters that are artists. In the book The Blackhope Enigma and its sequel The Crimson Shard, the two main characters are both artists. They both think the way I do, since most artists have a different way of seeing things. This is reflected in the book and I really like that. Setting is also a part of a good story. Don't forget that setting includes time period along with the location. The Blackhope Enigma and The Crimson Shard have several settings in different time periods and locations, and that helps contribute to the story. If the characters all stayed in the same place and time, it wouldn't make much sense and it would be pretty boring. Finally, writing style is a huge component of a good story, but something that a lot of people look over. Take Lemony Snicket for example. Snicket adds his own commentary in the middle of the story as the narrator. (Another great example of this style is Pseudonymous Bosch.) Other writers like C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien write with very sophisticated vocabulary and add a lot of small details in their writing. They're very descriptive writers. I've also noticed that they use very long, rambling sentences on occasion. Writing style is important because the mood of the story is greatly affected by the attitude with which it is written. If a more modernized, fast paced action story was written with Tolkien's style, it wouldn't seem quite right. That's just my opinion on what makes a good story better.
ReplyDeleteYour comment has style and voice, too! :) Thank you for contributing this to the conversation. Great points!
DeleteThere are many things that make up a great story. A great story must have a plot with a climax. Within the plot, there are many key elements that should be included such as a conflict and resolution. Most brilliant stories have a conflict, usually with a protagonist and an antagonist. These stories also include a resolution, which then leads into the falling action (what happens after the climax). A great story should also include a message to the reader, that teaches the reader why the book was written and what to take out of it. A great story can be any length, from one page to hundreds of pages. A great story must also make you want to be ready to see what comes next. These are many elements to a great story.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kyle K. I believe that in order for a story to be considered "great" it must meet certain criteria. The most important requirement for a great story is the rising action and climax. Although, character development, theme, and dialogue play important roles in the development of a story, I do not view them as the most important. The purpose of the rising action is to compliment the climax. Rising action accomplishes this by creating suspense or drama, encouraging the reader through anticipation of what might happen next. Then, when the climax/resolution is revealed it is intended to be the most memorable part of the book. The climax should also contain the most excitement; it should leave the reader thrilled and possibly bewildered. This occurs often in mystery books, where the reader is fueled with anticipation of what might happen next. Then, they become star-struck at the resolution. For me, a similar situation happened when reading "And Then There Were None".
DeleteA great story must somehow be "ahh" inspiring, not to many cliche's or boring already done material just done with different characters. It has to do something other stories don't, that may be a bit hard but it can be done. It has to be somehow unique in its own way, a writer may claim that their idea is "unique" but it may not be. And of course a story must have have the basic story telling materials, like character development, plot buildup and of course the climax. However, a story may contain multiple climax's an example being a character dies, leaves, betrays his friends, A location is destroyed ( that characters may have been sent out to get) something stops the characters from moving on and vice versa. In my opinion stories that have a large character development are the best stories, as some characters you could relate to in real life which could make you like this character more making you more attached to the story and so on. Series like The Walking Dead fit this ( as its the best thing ever :P) as the story is more about the characters than anything else. (and look how popular it is) And of course the story should be likeable by all audiences, be it you're a boy or girl. Also a story could sorta be a cliche' idea but contains ideas you never thought of before, only that way would that redeem the story as not cliche'.
ReplyDeleteVery good points!!
DeleteI think what make a story great is the feeling that the author gives to the reader. If someone writes a story and doesn't convey anything to the reader, then I think the story is garbage! Stories are all about impressing the reader and grabbing his/her attention, so if the author doesn't grab the readers attention through the story, its not a great story. It doesn't matter what the author is trying to convey, as long it a cool and unique as BrandonB mentioned it's a great story. In conclusion, there are many components that lead to a great story, but I think the author conveying a message is one of the most important.
ReplyDeleteI think that a good story has to have to have a good title. I say this because even though people say to not judge a book by its cover I know that everyone does. It also has to have an interesting blurb on the inside flap. This will make it a good story because a lot of people read that. this is what makes a good story in my opinion.
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ReplyDeleteA good short story should have a relative character that the reader can relate to. This character should have characteristics that make the reader feel connected and feel more invested into the story. I also agree with Drew about how a story should have a good title. Thought the title should reflect on what the story is about is should be eye catching and make the reader want to read. These are just a couple of thing I believe a short story should have in them.
ReplyDeleteJust like Caleb L., I was also constantly making predictions on who the murderer was in the book "And Then There Were None", because of the well developed characters and unique story line. I believe that a good story has a well developed plot that keeps you reading and gets the reader "hooked." For example, I read the story "If I Stay" by Gayle Forman over the summer. The story is one of my favorites because of the big plot and interesting story line. Like Nikki V. said, some of the best books are the shorter ones, and I couldn't agree more! "If I Stay" is only about 250 pages and it still has such a great story line! I love books that are quick reads and that have action and emotion packed into them. Also, I think good reads involve descriptive writing, so it's easy to envision what's happening.
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