What People like to Read

So yeah, that was Snow-Anne (I say that if I like. Huh.)

So, for my next post: what people like to read. Some of these might just get you saying "Duh", but that's fine, because some authors just don't get some things.

1. People like flawed characters, as long as it stays reasonable. If the character is perfect, then there's no point in sending him to a quest.
2. It is refreshing to have a protagonist that isn't a "sunshine, lollypops and rainbows everywhere" type of person. If they are well made, a sarcastic pessimistic character might just become the reader's favourite (like that John-Francis guy of mine. I hadn't designed him to be liked, but he ended up everyone that read my book's favourite. Huh. Try and figure that one out.)
3. Villains that have a motivation that the average person can understand, like, for example, saving the world, or making the world a better place. The villain shouldn't be evil or insane just for the sake of being evil or insane, but he/she should have a goal in life. Personally, I like the idea that the villain ends up helping the protagonists to fight a greater evil.
4. People like good endings that leave them satisfied and that have been well planned. Unless your book is to have a sequel, it is a good idea not to rush through the ending, otherwise you end up with one-lined endings such as "And they lived happily ever after", "It was all a dream" or "He had to leave and never came back."
5. It's great when characters that people take a liking to don't die, or end up magically coming back in a way that wasn't too cheesy.
6. As I mentioned in a previous post, people don't like it when the characters have it too easy (cough, cough, Amos Daragon, cough). So the heros should have their plans foiled, or an unexpected turn of events that makes them get a few close calls or some great level of difficulty, even some failures!
7. Smart villains are great adversaries for the hero and make the story fun to read
8. Imagery makes the readers feel as if they can feel the world and see it. An unestablished world can make the work dull.
9. Changes of pace in the book makes it more interesting and easy to read.
10. Romance is always a bonus, but it shouldn't be inappropriate, or located in inappropriate times or places.

• So, please, no detailed love-making or constant love-making (All series by Anne Robillard, the person who writes Les Chevaliers D'Émeraude, have constant love-making inside. It gets quite annoying, boring, etc.)

Enjoy!

Firejay

11. I think it might be a good idea to include Confession's idea: suspense. How did I not think of that?! I mean, suspense, secrets, unexpected turns of events, all are great in holding one's interest for a story! Really, thank you Confession.