Prose or Plot?

[Mary]

Lately, I've been wondering why I seem to choose novels for their beautifully-crafted sentences more than their plots. Like MY NAME IS LUCY BARTON or THE LIGHTKEEPERS. Or anything ever written by Anne Tyler. :)

Is it a girl thing? Or is it just me? Anybody else out there a prosey over a plotty?

[Grace]

I'm really neither... I do enjoy plot more than prose, I think, but the thing that really hooks me is characters and setting. If the characters are interesting, I'll read a book even with horrible prose and a pointless plot.
Though I suppose the interestingness of the characters is really dependent on a combination of prose and plot, so perhaps I'm both :)

[Mary]

Grace wrote: "I'm really neither... I do enjoy plot more than prose, I think, but the thing that really hooks me is characters and setting. If the characters are interesting, I'll read a book even with horrible ..."

Now that you mention it, Grace, I think I'm the same way. As in life, CHARACTER is everything!

[Bruce]

Just the other day, I was thinking that while many of my reviews mention the quality of the prose, it is clearly the consistency of the plotline that drives my thoughts.

When aspects of a story just don't seem to line up right, I get distracted. On the other hand, there is nothing better in my opinion than when a set of seemingly unrelated threads or inconsistent occurrences are brought together with a totally unexpected turn of events. I can overlook less than flowery speech, but plot missteps throw me off entirely.

[Hákon]

Books get to me for different reasons. Some because of their plot, others for their prose. It just depends on my mood I guess.

[Renée]

Ideally to stay engaged, I need both prose and plot. Just recently I set a book aside because although it was a bestseller and had garnered lots of praise, it just didn't have enough plot for my tastes. And the language wasn't at a level that made me want to hang in there despite the slow moving story. Why this book was so successful is something of a mystery to me.

[Jim]

The length of a novel and the author's targeted audience often determine whether character development or plot is prioritized. In a novel of less than 200 pages more emphasis is usually placed upon plot than intricate character evolution. A novel of 350 pages or more allows the writer to do both effectively. My personal reading preference leans toward the latter.

[Effie]

Thank you for saying that, Jim. Before I published my 548 page book, I was told no one would touch a book of that length by a debut author. The most of the reviews and personal comments I've received say that the book is character driven and they love that. The readers felt as if they knew and understood the people in the story. Character development was very important to me. Maybe it's because I have a theater background and I developed my characters in a similar manner to the way I did when I developed a character in a role I played.

[Alicia]

Effie wrote: "Thank you for saying that, Jim. Before I published my 548 page book, I was told no one would touch a book of that length by a debut author. The most of the reviews and personal comments I've receiv..."

Me, too - just shy of 500 pages. I like to think it is that long because you need space if you're going to have plot, character, and language with nuance (as long as it doesn't slow the plot down). Story is primary, but story means nothing with cardboard characters.

[James]

Over the years, I have migrated toward books with interesting characters and spare but illuminating prose. Plot is also important, but more in terms of consistency. I want to feel tightly involved in the story. I also tend to like shorter books (less than 300 pages).

[Theresa]

Alicia wrote: "Me, too - just shy of 500 pages. I like to think it is that long because you need space if you're going to have plot, character, and language with nuance (as long as it doesn't slow the plot down). Story is primary, but story means nothing with cardboard characters. ..."

I tend to agree that story means nothing with cardboard characters. My books run around 300 pages, but it is a series and I can develop the characters across the books. Others don't have that luxury and need extra space.

[V.W.]

I seem to be in the opposite camp to most here. Plot and story is everything to me. If the plot isn't gripping, then I don't care about the characters. This is especially the case since I prefer military SF, historical military, and other action/adventure books, including stuff like Jim Butcher's Dresden Files.

[Zippergirl]

1. Plot
2. Plot
3. Pretty Words

Plot is the destination. The words are scenery. There is something to be said for taking the secenic route, when you're not in a hurry to get to where you're going.

[Jim]

Publishing is a business. The length of a book isn't as nearly important as the quality. Regardless of length, a book that is technically well written, skillfully narrated, interesting and entertaining will inevitably sell. The sales volume depends upon the effectiveness of the marketing campaign and word of mouth.

Besides its impact upon level of character development and plot, a longer book is priced higher and, therefore, provides the publisher with more profit and the author with greater royalties.

[Renée]

Jim wrote: "Publishing is a business. The length of a book isn't as nearly important as the quality. Regardless of length, a book that is technically well written, skillfully narrated, interesting and entertai..."

Duly noted Jim--I was just passing along some info that I found truly surprising and something that had never factored into my reading or writing.

[Jim]

DJ Zippergirl wrote: "1. Plot
2. Plot
3. Pretty Words

Plot is the destination. The words are scenery. There is something to be said for taking the secenic route, when you're not in a hurry to get to where you're going."

DJ

Well said and cleverly worded! I wish I had thought of that metaphor.

[Mary]

Effie wrote: "Thank you for saying that, Jim. Before I published my 548 page book, I was told no one would touch a book of that length by a debut author. The most of the reviews and personal comments I've receiv..."

Remember what the "experts" said before the first Harry Potter came out? Kids don't read. And they'll NEVER read a book over 200 pages. Just goes to show: good always wins out!

[Mary]

DJ Zippergirl wrote: "1. Plot
2. Plot
3. Pretty Words

Plot is the destination. The words are scenery. There is something to be said for taking the secenic route, when you're not in a hurry to get to where you're going."

Jim wrote: "DJ Zippergirl wrote: "1. Plot
2. Plot
3. Pretty Words

Plot is the destination. The words are scenery. There is something to be said for taking the secenic route, when you're not in a hurry to get ..."

As long as "pretty words" include an emotional journey, I'm with you.

[Zippergirl]

Harry Potter. Now you can't turn a corner without stumbling on a 15-year-old protagonist and a YA label.

I tend to shy away from the YA books, I never needed them before, why should I start now? lol Gimme some grown-ups, please.

[Brian]

I'm with V.W. on this one -- plot, story, and characters entice me to turn the pages. Just because the author isn't in a hurry to get where he or she's going, does that mean the reader feels the same way?

[Alicia]

Brian wrote: "I'm with V.W. on this one -- plot, story, and characters entice me to turn the pages. Just because the author isn't in a hurry to get where he or she's going, does that mean the reader feels the sa..."

You can tell pretty quickly if the nice words are going to keep the plot from moving along - that's what the sample is for. I figure if I'm skimming before I get to the sample's end, it isn't going to be a book for me. Same with word choice, sentence structure, dialogue - if it doesn't pull me insomehow in the first few pages, it probably isn't my type of book.