The process of creation works a little different for everybody, but I think it's safe to say that most books start with what the author thinks is a good idea. Otherwise, why invest countless hours into writing it? And usually it is a good idea. So why, so often, are books almost unreadable? Have you ever read the back of a novel and loved the premise, opened it and started reading, then wanted to throw it at the wall before you made it three pages? How about the other side of the coin, in which somebody pushed a book on you that you never would have chosen to read, and you couldn't put it down? What factors contribute to a book's readability? Here's what works for me.
1. Dialogue. And lots of it. I recently read somebody's manuscript and there were only two lines of dialogue in the first fifty pages. The rest consisted of narrative about what the protagonist was doing, where he was going, what was happening to him, etc. This was problematic for me, for many reasons, but mostly because this character was in situations where other people where around, and there would surely have been conversations taking place. Even if he were a mute (he wasn't), the author could have written in some conversations somewhere in the background. I want all of my senses stimulated when I read. What this person created, was a completely silent world, and it didn't work for me. Not just that, but dialogue brings characters to life, makes them real. I would go so far as to say that if a writer can't learn to create good dialogue, fiction may not be the right fit for her/him.
2. A hook. Catch me early on, or you'll lose me forever. If I finish a first chapter thinking that it would be a burden to read any more, I won't. You may very well have written a great story, but I'll never know because didn't seem to care about making me want to read it. There are different ways to deliver a good hook, but what gets me is interaction between characters early on.
3. Good pacing. I looked at another manuscript recently, and though the dialogue was great, it was equally unreadable because there were no breaks between scenes. It was just a stack of papers that documented every second of the protagonist's life, and covered every word of every conversation he had. It read like a surveillance video. Even reality shows know not to bore us with every breath their characters take. I also read a very popular Swedish book last year that would have been great, had the author not felt the need to bore me with pages and pages about characters that had no effect, whatsoever, on the story. Each scene or conversation should serve a purpose. If it's not moving the story along somehow, it needs to at least tell me something relevant about the character.
4. A good conflict. Personally, I prefer a good antagonist. Give me a Voldemort (Harry Potter), Scar (Lion King), Steven (Django Unchained), or Joker (Batman) and you've got me hooked. Why? Because it's just so satisfying when the bad guy finally goes down. Especially if you've done a good enough job making me hate him. This can be tricky not to just create some cackling entity with no rhyme, or reason for being evil. Make him so real that I might even empathise with him at times.
5. A good protagonist. I need characters that are alive. I've read too many "types" with little to no emotional depth. I can't relate to these one dimensional vessels. The exception to the "show, don't tell" rule is obviously the point of view character. If I'm seeing the world through her perspective, I want to know what she knows, feel what she feels. It's not enough to simply tell me that she frowned and walked away with her head down. Give me the sequence of thoughts that led to whatever conclusion caused her to react that way. (At least do it when it fits the mood and flow) This puts me in her shoes, and allows me to relate with her.
6. Just enough description. Don't go overboard. I know what a flat screen TV looks like. All I really need—and only if it's relevant to the story—is the size, and where it's located. Is it mounted to the far wall? Sitting on a coffee table? I like little bits of description that register with my senses. (The smell of freshly cut grass, a throbbing pain in my head, a blue light so bright I had to squint.) Too little or too much description can make me want to donate a book to a hillbilly bonfire.
So what distinguishes a readable book, from a paperweight? Not necessarily content, but rather delivery. Style. I'll read a nine-hundred-page novel about talking Tic-tacs if all the elements are thrown together right to give the emotional payoff that good stories provide.
Michael's book After the Change is currently available on Amazon.com.