Last week we discussed writing vs. storytelling and parsed out how it’s often the storytelling and not the sentence-to-sentence prose that is drawing people in when a book is extremely popular.
Let’s imagine two sliding scale spectrums:
0-10 on the writing scale
And 0-10 on the storytelling scale
10 writing, 0 storytelling would be experimental fiction and other prose-centric musings without much/any story.
0 writing, 10 storytelling would be novels where the story is fantastic but the prose is basically indistinguishable from another book or otherwise not very strong.
Everything in between would each be a combination of strengths. For instance, 7 writing/10 storytelling would be well-written edge-of-the-seat genre fiction, 10 writing/10 storytelling would be a book that melds beautiful (if challenging) prose with expert plotting, and 10 writing/6 storytelling would finely wrought novels where we mainly admire the writing.
So. How important is writing vs. storytelling to you? Which is more important to you when you choose a book? Do you have a sweet spot? Do you gravitate toward a certain combination of writing and storytelling? Do you have limits?
Speaking personally, my favorite books are close to 10/10, but as long as the storytelling is great I’m very willing to skimp on the writing scale. I can’t do less than about a 5 or 6 on storytelling no matter how good the writing is.
What about you?
I'm with you, Nathan. 10/10, but I make exceptions all the time. I just have a passion for lush prose, but I need a compelling storyline to keep me reading.
I value storytelling over writing. Storytelling needs to be at least an 8. Writing can be as low as a 4, if the storytelling is 9 or 10.
For instance, I'm reading Eat, Pray, Love right now, and I'm losing patience because, while the writing has remained consistently at a 9, the storytelling drops to a 5 during the latter portions of India and the first parts of Indonesia. It's all tell and no show.
Oh well. The movie's out this weekend.
I go 5+ writing and 8+ storytelling. Obviously 10-10 is the top end, but if I get bored with the story, I put it down, sometimes indefinitely, no matter how good the writing.
I imagine everyone would hope for a 10/10 — I am trying to think of an example of one and would love to hear what books you, Nathan, would award such a high honor. Harry Potter maybe? I need a good storyline. I also might give Owen Meany a 10/10. To cite your example of Gilead last week, I liked that book fine and could respect the beautiful writing, but needed more story for sure. Even if it did ultimately have storytelling, I could have used more. Thinking about this, the books I have on my list but never pick up are often books that I think will be a 10 -writing but below 5 story. The best is when I am pleasantly surprised. That happened to me with Plot Against America. I loved it because though I expected great writing, I didn't realize what a great story it would be. Those pleasant surprises are the best…
Personally, I love a good story. Love it even more when it's also well written.
But lyrical prose that adds up to nothing more than an average story, that doesn't really do it for me.
I'm a 10 on writing and a no less than 5 on storytelling.
I can definitely handle a slower, quieter book if the writing is still good.
Rachel-
I thought about assigning books to different combos, but didn't want to offend anyone. I will say I think a book like ATONEMENT strikes pretty close to 10/10.
I'm about a 5/9–I'll forgive a lot in the writing if the story makes up for it. And writing that's too "good" feels very elitist to me.
Before I started writing, my reading preferences weighed heavily toward the storytelling. But now, alas, that internal editor wants to take over. It takes about an 11 on storytelling to shut it up. Or, I think even more for me, on the characters. I'll tolerate a 5 or 6 in storytelling with great characters.
Terry
Terry's Place
Romance with a Twist–of Mystery
@Jaimie – I haven't read, "Eat, Pray, Love", but someone I know who has says Roberts is an odd choice for the lead.
I value writing, but it IS a good story that will make me stick with a book. Otherwise, I'll ditch it. I have no patience for poor writing and if a story isn't compelling, I just don't have the time to persist.
I can probably lean to an 8/8, but no less on either.
Kat
I love an unusual combination of usual words. I like imagery that is crisp. If it takes a writer ten pages to describe the architecture of a building my interested bone falls asleep. I think I would be a 5/10. Which is probably a sad state of affairs for my brain, but after having kids, I'm lucky if I remember to change out of my pajamas before going to the grocery store.
10/10- and this is why.
After you go blind and you can't read books for a long while, you get really freaking picky.
Five eye surgeries last year, some sight regained, no guarantees how long it'll last and I cannot afford to squander it. I have to be very careful what I risk eyestrain for.
Unless someone has it all, gripping storytelling and mad technical skills, I have to stop reading really quickly. There are just too many books (not to mention things I want to write) for me to spend my limited eyesight on something that isn't as darn close to perfect as it gets.
Yeah, I am a lot pickier than I used to be.
~bru
This totally sparked an idea for a new way to rate books for book reviewers. A rating for pros and a rating for storytelling. I often find myself using one or the other to sacrifice a book from the meh end of my rating scale. I always want to love a book, but sometimes I find I am grasping at straws for reasons why I should.
Definately like a good 10/10 book. But to be perfectly honest if the prose are too precisely purply and well thought out and witty, it kind of makes me feel like they are trying to distract me from their lack of story. So I would say about an 8 on the writing and a 10 on the storytelling and its a good fast read for me that is satisfying.
Who would prefer inferior storytelling or writing? 10/10 is optimum.
Storytelling is more important to me, but the writing certainly has to be decent. I think to some extent they're intertwined; after all, it's really hard to see how great a story is if the writing is terrible.
I would probably stop reading at about a writing 4 if the storytelling is 10, but if the storytelling isn't that, a 5 would be pushing it.
I can skimp on the story but never on the writing. Great language is what made me want to become a writer. Rich characters can be made without much story. I look for an 8-10 in writing and can go as low as 2 with story. I love experimental fiction. But, I never bring it to the beach with me. I guess it all depends on what I'm looking for on any given day. I'm not anti-story. A good story is priceless. But I won't touch it if it's not well written.
For me, the writing can make or break a story. I've read some books with good stories that I'll never read again or recommend simply because they're poorly written in terms of grammer, punctuation, consistency or their style made it difficult to follow the story.
On the other hand, some books are wonderfully written, but I'm just not interested in the subject. At least with these I don't feel robbed of my life by the time taken to read them.
Oh — and I don't think everyone really wants 10/10 actually. I think a lot of people would find 10 writing unnecessarily challenging even if the story is good.
I would have to go with a good story, but good writing definitely helps. I am more likely to turn to the next page if the story pulls me in than if the story bores me, regardless of the writing. Well . . . not totally regardless.
Erick