Important Question

[backupdump002]

Throwing this up here real quick while I'm thinking about it.

Internet, what is the main thing that you look for in a story? Three-dimensional characters? Intriguing plot? Breathtaking world/atmosphere? What is the one thing where, even if everything else about the story sucks, you'd keep following it anyway because your interest in that overshadows everything else? Just, you know, if you had to pick.

GO.

Comments

[neutraltwin.livejournal.com]

Well, I'd say all of the things working cohesively together is important, but interesting characters is definitely top of the list. I want someone I can empathise with, someone who interests me so I will care about what happens to them. If the characters are flat, I'll just go "...I really don't care what happens to you" and put the book down.

Like gogoicarus said up there, Girl Genius is a great example of good characterisation. It gets to the point where you WANT them to succeed and you truly LIKE them, rather than just passively reading.

[doxinator.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm the same way; I'm so tired of flat, cookie-cutter characters. I've gotten so jaded that pretty much ANYTHING with realistic characters that I care about automatically earns an A++++++ in my book.

Man, I need to read Girl Genius, everyone keeps raving about it :O