I know and I'm not telling

And a happy christmas to you, as well!!

Reader involvement I think makes a novel a real page turner... by that by that I mean that the reader wants to know what the big mystery is (in my novels at least), cares what happens to the characters and feels as if they are being challenged.

When I write I like to pose questions and I want the reader to feel as if she is being challenged to try and figure what out what is happening. BUt equally important is good characterisation because you can have the best plot in the world, but if your reader doesn't care about the characters and what happens to them, then they won't read on.

Engage the reader firstly

1. good, strong characterisations
2. a plot which places your characters in situations where they are tested or challenged.
3. good pace which gives the reader enough to keep thinking and doesn't hold everything back and end up frustrating the reader
4. do not alienate the reader by aloofness, false profundity, overwriting
5. surprise
6. make it logical. Don't get your reader to make a huge leap of faith

These are just a few ideas.

A good strong ending and resolution (doesn't necessarily mean happy of course). So many times I have liked a book, only to be disappointed with its ending.

What I love about really compelling books, is that you can't always pinpoint the exact factors that make them so good. And obviously these factors alter according to the individual reader. I love being able to read a great book and then sit back and wonder how the hell the writer did it.

That's a nice point.

I don't think you can prescribe a dot to dot 'this makes it compelling' rules of conduct. I suppose a lot of it comes down to whether you are a good writer or not.

I suppose there must be a mgoc ingredient. Even if you follow some rules that make it compelling, you still have to do it. That's the hard part.

I hope I have it, but that is not for me to say...

Twists

The best thing my English teacher told me, a day before my exams, was to make sure every scene had a twist, make sure the ending has a twist that astounds, and you can't fail. The best advice I've ever been given. And imagine my delight when part of the exam was to finish half of a Ray Bradbury story, and what a twist I did for that one!
It really works.

Every book has twists if you think about it, the action/reaction/action infinity thing, this naturally makes a reader want to turn the page, makes them read faster, makes them care for the characters, etc. It's what I try to do when I write. Look at Stephen King's Misery, the whole book is engineered in a series of horrifying and ironic twists.

I use to think it was Plot, but for me it’s…

Characters.

I’ve stopped reading too many books because of the characters… being weak, not people I want to hear about or listen to.

I like confident, interesting characters.

Character is KING…or Queen.

Dawn,