Poll

My answer is, all of them, hence my vote, tell me the damn story. All of those things come into play when you're telling a ripping good yarn.

I was going to respond to your post from earlier today when I had a minute, so I'll pop over and do that...

True... all of them come in to play. By the time I listed all of the story elements for the poll, I was thinking that same thing. Hence, the last answer.

I had the same instinct. And really, it could be a number of things or one thing or really nothing at all. Hence my vote...

"The inability to sleep due to coke binges" wasn't on here so I chose just tell me the damn story.

i go with voice because it's originality of vision that interests me, but i think that's inseparable from story. i guess all those things are pretty much inseparable, really... it's only when any of them stick out that you have a problem...

first i voted "just tell..." then changed it to "voice" (and why am i using quotes?)... anyway for me it's the voice mainly. i don't usually read for a story. a book doesn't need a story though i guess something should happen or we would both just be silently staring at each other. i do like characters, well developed characters, but even that in the end is not important. it's the language i like. how one word follows another word and how that word was the perfect word to follow the preceding word. and by stringing those words along an idea forms that makes me think, "oh wow". i wouldn't like reading this comment for instance because the word order is all wrong (i would say "oh shit"). i also keep reading a book if there's something alluded to but never shone... that makes me want to keep going around the corner looking for that something. and even if it's not shone i usually still enjoy the book because i make up that something with what i've learned from reading the words.

i've said enough now. i will quit.

I was thinking (haha) which one would hold your interest if the others sucked. Bonita, Your poll results will only be representative of this or other reading/writing groups. Not the general public. Everyone here reads and writes and is interested in most anything.

9 votes out of 17. that's more than 50% turn out. just saying.

Mine is tell me the damn story...but at the same time, The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, that makes me want to change my mind.

I voted for voice. Like Ben and Brian, I don't read for the story (not really). Once I find an author with a comfortable voice, I want to read all of their stuff. Mmmm... potato chips. I want to keep turning the pages and be astounded when the clock tells me I've been reading for two hours. It's all about the language. I sympathize with Dan... caffine-free drinks should be banned from the shelves.

interesting. i was going to go with voice but changed to just tell me the story because i have some read some stories where the voice was very clear, and distinct but the story that unfolded didn't interest me. and the characters annoyed me. in fact a lot of books i actively dislike have a very distinct voice that i just don't like.

conversely, there are other books that for me, aren't actually interesting in voice but are page turners but that's the only thing i respond to. it's why i only read two harry potter books. for me, i wanted to know what happened but i didn't want to have to wade through all the pages so i found the books boring.

so i guess i'm going to stay with my vote because resonance isn't on the list. some combination of all these things comes together so that i connect with a book and want to keep reading it. but it's not always the same for all books or all types of writing. :)

Resonance... that's a good one too.

A combination of things, like ingredients of The Ultimate (insert favorite food here) recipe...