Booking Through Thursday is a weekly event hosted HERE. A Weekly meme about (mostly) books and reading
What's more Important: Good Writing? Or a Good Story?
Jenny's Answer:
Wow that's a tough question, especially if you have to choose one or the other. Honestly, I think both are a key element in order to make a good book. But if I had to choose, I would say Good Writing. My reason would be because, even if a book is outstanding, if you have difficulty reading it, then you'll have difficulty understanding it and therefore making a book not worth your time. I like a book to entrap me from the very beginning and if it does and there's a problem with the writing, where I have to re read sections to understand them, that just frustrates me and I'll have to stop reading it.
Ana's Answer:
I would have to say a good story. To me if the story is good, i can overlook the bad writing. Although the bad writing can get a little distracting at times. Now if the book is written perfectly and the story is just horrible, I wouldn't be able to get into the story and I would just quit reading it, but after the 100 page mark of course. I always like to give books a chance.
Trudy's Answer:
In my case I think if you have good writing, you can turn a not so good story into a good one.
Tammy's Answer:
I'd rather have a good story. Although I am a usually stickler for good grammar, punctuation and spelling, I love stories that take me away from reality so I don't pay much attention to those things if the story can become my alternate reality for a while.
Monica's Answer:
This one is a toughie. I do have one particular book in mind, it has the most amazing story line but the writing, oh goodness just needs some work. But I continue to read the series because of the story line and not the writing style. I feel like the story is everything. The writing could use improvement and I probably criticize it often but I would definitely read the next in a series if the story was amazing.
Monica's Answer:
This one is a toughie. I do have one particular book in mind, it has the most amazing story line but the writing, oh goodness just needs some work. But I continue to read the series because of the story line and not the writing style. I feel like the story is everything. The writing could use improvement and I probably criticize it often but I would definitely read the next in a series if the story was amazing.
I would like to have both good writing and good story, but I think that if I had to choose I would rather have a really well written book with a not so good story, than a really good story that is really poorly written.
ReplyDeleteI love that you gave 3 varying responses! I'm firmly in the "story should strive for both" camp. A good premise will hook a lot of readers, but good writing will keep the story moving.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with both of you! A story can be GREAT but if it's written poorly I can't get into it since I will be half the time figuring out what the author is trying to describe instead of the free flowing of the book. If that makes any sense.
ReplyDeleteMonica - I wonder if it's the series I'm thinking about.
ReplyDeleteI think a story is more important but yes the writing is as well, it's just too hard to pick!
Here's my BTT.
Happy Reading!
Cathy @Addicted to Books
Great responses, I like both.
ReplyDeletehttp://tributebooksmama.blogspot.com/2012/01/booking-through-thursday_26.html