The other day I received an email from Paul Reeves, who
hosts “Dr. Paul’s Family Talk on Impact Radio. In addition to news, music and a
variety of topics, Paul usually has an interview with an author to discuss
their latest book or story. I’ve been fortunate to have been a guest on his
show a couple of times.
So the message was “What makes a good book?” Paul was asking a few authors to share their
insights, in a sentence or a couple of paragraphs. A sentence?
Here was my response.
A good book must have relatable characters, people the
reader can easily identify with. That can include their physical description,
their background (race and ethnicity) and their family as well. There must be at
least one major conflict, although several others can lead to great subplots
and give the reader insight as to how your main character deals with
them. There should be some descriptive passages, that can help convey
'when' the story takes place and the location.
Next is dialogue. I want to hear the characters’ talk,
whether it's exchanging pertinent information or friendly verbal jabs. Without
it, I'm reminded of the old line "A nod is as good as a wink to a blind
horse." And your dialogue should give the reader another glimpse inside
your character's behavior. Rarely do people in the present speak in full
sentences.
To help with the tension of the story (which ties in with
the conflicts) you need humor. Nobody gets through a day without someone
cracking a joke or making a derogatory comment to lighten the mood.
The last component should be resolution. It may not be
the end of the story, but if you can wrap up the various conflicts to bring at
least some type of closure, the reader will be satisfied. Of course, you may
want to leave a couple of things open-ended, so you have the foundation for a
sequel.
Now that was a quick response with a short deadline. Paul
wanted to include those thoughts in the next day’s show. There were about a half dozen authors who
responded with their ideas. Between us, we
covered the basics: characters, settings, conflicts, dialogue, resolution,
genre, description.
But is there any perfect all-encompassing answer? The
question is different for everyone. What makes a good book for you?
In just a few short weeks, “Your Turn to Die” will be
released. It’s now available for
pre-order at Wild Rose Press, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and all of your
favorite sources. Here’s an
excerpt. In this scene, Jefferson Chene
is interviewing Valerie Mann, an associate of the victim who is being less than
cooperative.
“Why
did you lie to me?”
She
shifted her head just enough to look me in the eye. “I don’t like you.”
“It’s
not a popularity contest. I’m trying to figure out who killed your boss.”
“You’re
abrasive.” I shrugged. “If I have to be.”
“Your
mother must be so proud.” Her voice was dripping with sarcasm.
“I
wouldn’t know. I never met her.”
Valerie
opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out. Her cheeks and throat
flushed scarlet. She swallowed once and turned her attention to the computer. I
watched as she scrolled through a list of files and brought up a folder labeled
‘contacts’.
“So
there must be some other reason you lied, other than not liking me.”
“I
just don’t see how any of this could help you find his killer.”
I
pointed at the computer monitor. Slowly she ran through the list of names.
Valerie stopped occasionally to jot down the details for several people listed
as attorneys. It was tempting to see if there were any recent emails between
them and Morrissey. I was about to ask but figured Yekovich and Pinky would be
able to tell me. We finished with the list. Valerie switched off the computer.
“Want
to tell me about the lie?” She let out a ragged breath.
“You’re
impossible.” I rested a hip on the desk. She remained in the big chair.
Self-consciously she crossed her legs, then tugged the hem of her skirt down
toward her knee. It didn’t cover much.
“I’m
in no hurry.”
“I
thought you were trying to catch a killer.”
“I
am. But my boss gets pissed if I do a sloppy job and miss something.”
Valerie
folded her hands in her lap. “I have nothing more to say. Unless you have
questions related to Mr. Morrissey’s business dealings, I’m going to ask you to
leave. We have a number of things to finish up before tomorrow’s services.”
I
decided not to push it. She was obviously holding something back. Whether it
was pertinent to the case was anyone’s guess. Tucking the papers into my pocket,
I pushed away from the desk. Valerie stayed in the chair.
“Good-bye, Sergeant.”
“I’ll
see you around, Ms. Mann.” It obviously wasn’t the response she was hoping for.
This week’s musical selection is from The Fine Young
Cannibals. Here’s “She Drives Me Crazy”.
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