Plot vs. Prose

[Jude Hardin]

A great plot written poorly will sell faster than a poor plot written greatly.

Thoughts?

[minervaK]

I second this. I will put a book down without compunction if the writing stinks, no matter how much critical praise has been lavished on it, or how many thrilling plot twists are promised in the jacket blurb.

Unfortunately, I fear my current work-in-progress has a lot more going for it in terms of plot than writing style. Sigh.

MK

[John McFetridge]

When I buy a book I'm much more concerned with prose style - voice - than with plot.

But that's just me. I'm not interested in "high concept" plots, plot twists, big reveals, that kind of thing. I was when I was in my twenties, but that was a long time ago.

Now, by sell "faster" do you mean to agents and editors or do you mean in bookstores?

[Jude Hardin]

Probably both, John.

[John McFetridge]

Yes, I suppose any agent or editor looking for anything other than high-concept, potential bestseller (really, movie in book form) has been weeded out of the industry by now.

And they wonder why they're in trouble.

[Jude Hardin]

Well, as a reader, I need both. Life's too short to spend much time on clunky, cliche-ridden prose, no matter how exciting the plot is, just as it's too short for boring stories no matter how beautiful the language.

I want a compelling story that's also well-written. It's what I demand as a consumer and what I strive for as an artist.

But it's obvious from some of what ends up on the shelves (and the bestseller lists) that most readers probably aren't as discriminating.

[Eric Christopherson]

I wasn't too discriminating when I started reading thrillers either. It was Robin Cook who first got me hooked, for example, and over time I've moved to needing better and better prose, leaving Grisham and Crichton by the wayside along the way, for example.

The major houses do look for plot first, and sometimes, obviously, that's enough for them.

To paraphrase agent Molly Friedrich in an interview I read recently: "Does anyone not know that plot is the easiest thing to sell?"

[I. J. Parker]

Thanks for that quote. I think that's probably true. Given the fact that there are only so many basic plots possible, you can see where the emphasis next falls on twists and over-the-top events. I have done twists and might do so again if the twist comes logically, but too many of them are clearly imposed on the conclusion just because a twist is expected and therefore a) is not believable, or b) artificially prolongs the ending, or c) comes as an anticlimax.

[Donna Carrick]

OH, L.J., I could not possibly agree more!!!! I can enjoy a good twist, or sex, or gritty violence, but only if it flows organically out of the story and the nature of the characters. None of those factors are essential to my enjoyment, but if they develope naturally, that's ok with me.

Too many writers have turned to "superimposing" wild graphic scenes into their stories in a way that is blatantly gratuitous. I am no prude. I will write or read most styles, and have been known to be somewhat graphic in my own work. However, I strive to stay true to my characters and their story. To date, I have NEVER added a twist or a graphic element solely for shock value. In my opinion, that would cheapen the art.

Thank you for mentioning the need for plausibility in the plot!

[Pate Grantwell]

The major houses do look for plot first, and sometimes, obviously, that's enough for them.

To paraphrase agent Molly Friedrich in an interview I read recently: "Does anyone not know that plot is the easiest thing to sell?"

So if the powers that be only read the first couple of pages of a Newbie's work before making their decision, how can they determine the quality of the plot? It makes more sense to me that they would try to get a measure of a writer's style, rather than plot, from the first couple of pages.

As for me, I have always favored writing style over plot, in part because I have always enjoyed reading. I'll read about paint drying if it is written in an interesting way.

There is also a practical consideration. If an attractive style is used to tell an uninteresting story, you at least come away with some lessons in style. If you take a chance on a poorly-written book in the hope that it contains a good plot, your time will be severly wasted if the plot never materializes. At least with style, you are guaranteed something. And that is usually from the first page of the book.

[Jude Hardin]

So if the powers that be only read the first couple of pages of a Newbie's work before making their decision, how can they determine the quality of the plot?

That's where a synopsis comes in handy.

[I. J. Parker]

Well, you wonder what editors mean by "plot". Since Jon cites the Da Vinci Code, the thing I call plot (the events of the story in their sequence and with their main characters) is really very poor in that novel. What sells that book to millions is the subject matter. The thriller villainizes what people at the time wanted villainized (the patriarchal system of the Catholic clergy) while also setting up a feminine counter principle and creating a pseudo-religion and pseudo-history for this. It is wishful thinking for many and appealed to the lowest denominator. And the author certainly knew what he was doing.

[Donna Carrick]

Yes, DVC did appeal to many on a low common denominator, that is true. It personified the imaginary forces of 'good' and 'evil', appealed to the mass desire to up-end the social structure, and used the public's fascinationg with religious mythology to its very cynical advantage.

However, Brown should be applauded for his clever use of puzzles, something that grabs the attention of many readers. While it is not my favourite type of book (I am a fan of well-developed characters, something that is sorely lacking in Brown's work) it can still be enjoyed without literary guilt for its cleverness and the good old fashioned fun of the thing.

Again, I say Viva la Difference. We need access to a variety of styles and story types if we are going to keep the public hungry for our work. It is our job as writers to keep people 'literate'. Let's not let the art die altogether during our generation.