Think of your two favorite books. I know, I know, what an unreasonable demand! But just humor me for a moment and try to narrow it down. Okay, got the two in your head? Awesome.
Now, I want you to list the top two reasons why you loved loved loved that book, or fell asleep in bed reading it because you simply could not put it down.
Got those two reasons? Great. Keep them in mind because I’ll circle back around to your two reasons in the end.
There are many reasons fans come back to the same author time and again. It could be writing style, character building, world building, relatable issues- really the list goes on. But, for every story there exists two underlying keys that hook the reader into helplessly wanting more. What are those two reoccurring reasons keeping readers glued to the pages?:
1. Regularly introduced problems
2. Character-reader connections
1. Regularly introduced problems
Each chapter of your novel is like a short story. Or at least it should be. Each chapter should support the scene introduced on its own, while simultaneously moving the overall plot along.
With one challenge or problem that is dealt with, introduce a brand new problem right at the close of the same chapter. It doesn’t always have to be a major problem, but it should at least be a problem that is enough to frustrate or surprise the reader. Such nasty little cliffhangers leave the reader both intrigued and helplessly hooked.
Unanswered questions plague your reader. No reader wants to toss and turn at night wondering what the heck is going to happen to your protagonist, or your beloved hero(s). They want to be satisfied by knowing the outcome- good or bad.
Make that “itch they can’t scratch” a constant feeling throughout your novel, and a pattern with every chapter. In this way you are directly funneling your reader into your next chapter with the powerful tool of unresolved issues. So, leave your reader impatient to find out how the brand new problem will be solved and how it will affect the characters they have grown to care for or relate to. And with that being said, let’s hop straight to the next key method of reader-return.
2. Character-Reader Connections:
The second most important way to make your book impossible to put down is with character-reader connections. What does that mean? It means creating characters that are both unique and relatable to your reader. It means creating a character the reader wants to spend more time with, much like a friend.
I know you’ve heard me mention the importance of character-reader connections before in my blog. But I cannot and will not ever stop stressing how important this facet truly is. Readers want to connect with characters. They want to build their own relationship with them, mentally and emotionally. Readers view characters as potential life-long companions. If they love a character/characters enough, the reader will invest their time, patience, and emotional devotion to the character(s) in your story. YOU, the writer, has to make that experience not only possible, but truly impossible for the reader to break free from.
Therefore, having characters face problems that induce relatable concerns helps readers connect. Even if your character is facing a fire-breathing dragon (something none of us have ever faced) make sure the character responds with either an honest, human emotion or an inspiring, break-the-mold decision (even if your character is not human!). No matter who or what your character is honest, relatable emotions or unique, inspiring responses create real reader connections. Make your reader want to either sympathize with, relate to, or be inspired by the character’s experience. And of course, it is equally as important to include moments when your reader will be frustrated or upset by a character’s decision. All of this is certain to create a very real relationship between reader and character. And, it is sure to make your reader want to know what happens in the end to your character- their friend.
So, remember those two reasons you love your two favorite books? Well, I want to know what they are! Hearing from you helps me as a writer to make sure my stories are intriguing from the most important perspective: the reader’s! So, go ahead and share on the comment section below, I would love to hear the inspiring things you have to say! Thank you!
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Hard to pick favorites for sure. But I can say RECENT favorites are The Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner, and Lockwood & Co. by (I don’t usually space out authors names but I just did LOL, oops). Both of those had the two key points in this article—constant cliffhangers and relatable characters. Neither worlds are anything like my own, yet I could relate to everything going on, or at least imagine myself there easily enough. More than that, I WANTED to be there in those worlds. Amazing.
My favorite books are probably The Giver by Lois Lowry and The Mortal Instruments series as well as The Maze Runner series by James Dashner.
In all of those books the suspense is unbearable. The Giver made me think a lot. While the others made me laugh and cry. The authors to a good job of making characters seem as they’re real and introducing new problems throughout the book/series.
My favorite book of all time is Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. Over a thousand pages and I didn’t want it to end. I also love historical novels.
Gone With the Wind for the many in-depth characters facing overwhelming change.
The Thirteenth Tale for its mysterious characters slowly revealed that makes me feel privileged to get to know and the mystery that lasts to the last page.
Novaria Series by Sprague de Camp and Echo Series by Max Frei. They have interesting characters and a lot of problems all right!
For me, it’s important that books make me react strongly to the characters or story. There’s nothing worse than forgetting a book straight after finishing it, or feeling nothing for any of the characters. I want intense emotional reactions – whether happiness, sadness or even anger
I couldn’t agree more! If the characters are forgettable, the story will be as well. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Bleak House by Charles Dickens. A street sweeping boy and a titled Lady interact at the gates of a cemetery. 880 pages of intrigue and suspense!
My top two: Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead and Star Warsby I-Don’t-Even-Need-To-Say
Richelle Mead gets me every time. But I fell for VA first, so here it is: Her plots and sub-plots. This woman packs so much into 6 books, it’s insane. It’s almost too much! But it keeps things moving fast, there isn’t a lot of dwelling on any one thing, barring the main plot(s). I’d read each book in 48 hrs, max. And falling in love with each and every character. Sure, there were ones I didn’t like, on principle, but logically, they were great characters, and they only served to draw me further into the story. Those books still occupy my thoughts to this day.
Star Wars: I saw the movies first, courtesy of my father, who grew up on them. And I was fascinated. Fascinated with my first taste of sci-do, but also with the general complexity of creating an entire universe, with all its worlds and species and languages. (I think that’s where Tolkien’s talent struck me, too.) The first SW book I read drew me in the same way, and further captured me with the excellent characters and their stories and lives and adventures. I own almost all the books(over 200 of them), although thanks to Disney, I suppose that collection won’t grow much more. *sigh* It was a wonderful dream while it lasted.
I have to reasons for one but my favourite book is probably The Last Olympian from the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan, because A) Percy is the most relatable character ever, and B) THE CHAPTER TITLES COS OMG THEY’RE SO. FREAKING. FUNNY.
Mysterious and magical gets me excited though a lot of times love is added and I end up more hooked
My favorites are both amusing and unusual.