Pick Yer Side

Seems to me there are two camps when it comes to reading – or writing for that matter. And that is whether you're attracted to plot or style.

Me, I'm a plot person. It's a story that draws me in to a book and latches on. What drives me forward is wanting to know what's going to happen next. It's also what I focus on first when I write. I want to make sure the story flows well from one event to another on a train that will lead to the ending.

A lot of plot stories end up being in a specific genre: paranormal, fantasy, science fiction and the like. Mysteries and such also fall into this category, most of the time.

Then there are those kinds of people who get wrapped up in the writing. They are blown away by the craft of an author and the lyricism of the writing. They are known for things like great and interesting characters, long passages of characters musing or thinking about things and lost of descriptive passages.

A lot of times style books are categorized as contemporary or literary fiction.

Now, there aren't exactly lines between these. They blur together. Ideally, a writer will be fantastic in both of these. But, just like everyone else, writers have their strengths and weaknesses. They lean to one side or the other. Just like readers do.

Now, I love plot. That's the main reason I will continue to read a book. It's the things that's also the hardest for me to overlook in a book. That doesn't mean that I don't love the writing. It just means I'm more likely to put down a book if the plot is bad or uninteresting than if the writing sucks. If the plot is good and I want to know what's going to happen, I'll forgive bad writing. That's not to say that I don't love some things because they are written so beautifully or haven't shrugged at a story that was heavy on plot.

So what about you guys? Do you think you're one or the other? Is there one you gravitate toward? Let me know in the comments.

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