What Makes a Good Story?
In The Last Tycoon, F. Scott Fitzgerald writes “What people are ashamed of usually makes a good story.”
In this spirit, Ms. Blakemore, on behalf of AuthorView, asked some YA authors what they think makes a good story. Here’s what they said.
Everything gets broken- only some of it gets fixed. Saundra Mitchell, author of Shadowed Summer
One that makes you think or see the world in a different way. Sydney Salter, author of My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters
Someone you care about very much desperately wants something and can’t have it. C. Lee McKenzie, author of Sliding on the Edge
Any story that lingers long after we turn the last page… Michelle Zink, author of The Prophesy of the Sisters
Most anything that is real and true in the deeper sense (even if it is fantasy.) Cheryl Renee Herbsman, author of Breathing
A story that is unafraid of the truth that everyone laughs, everyone cries, everyone has triumphs and despicable moments and everyone, eventually, dies. Jennifer Jabaley, author of Hate List
For me, stories revolve around a question that needs an answer. Jennifer Hubbard, author of The Secret Year (coming 2010)
A story with a lot of emotional Truth — where either the characters, or the author (or both!), are not afraid to go deep and maybe uncover what is not so pretty, what nobody wants to talk about, or what you’re supposed to keep behind closed doors. Those are the stories that make me sit up and take notice. Neesha Meminger, author of Shine, Coconut Moon
A good story leaves room for questions. Megan Frazer, author of Secrets of Truth & Beauty
The anticipation of a kiss! Whether or not the kiss actually happens is another matter. Sarah Quigley, author of TMI
Something you can relate to, no matter how small. Erin Dionne, author of Models Don’t Eat Chocolate Cookies
What do you think makes a good story?
