Good Book/Bad Book

Over on our sister blog: The Writing Whisperer, we used this excerpt from the National Novel Writing Month's Young Novelist Workbook, and we wanted to share this exercise.  We thought, as readers, it might make you think about your reading in a slightly different way.  Complete the exercise and see what you discover about yourself as a reader.  Let us know how it works out for you!

Complete the following Exercise:

Excerpt from National Novel Writing Month's Young Novelist Workbook

Out of all the books you’ve read so far in your life, there were those that were ridiculously fun to read and some that were just about as fun as visiting the dentist on your birthday. Before you start thinking about the novel you’ll be writing this November, it’s helpful to write down what, to you, makes a book “good” (interesting, exciting, and fun to read) and what makes a book “bad” (boring, totally unbelievable, painful to read, etc.).

Good Book

Let’s start by making a list of books you love. Think about all the novels you’ve read that you couldn’t put down no matter how tired you were or how much unfinished homework was piling up all around you. In the spaces below, write down the title and author of three books you love:

1. Title

    Author

2. Title

    Author

3. Title

    Author

Now, make a list of everything you can think of that made those books so amazing. What made the characters so fascinating? What made the story events somehow believable, even if they could never happen in real life? You can be as general or as detailed as you like; include anything from “adventurous characters” to “high school drama” to “witty and natural dialogue.”

Once you have finished this list, keep it with you at all times during November. Why is this list so important? Because, as you might imagine, the things you like as a reader are going to be things you are best at writing. As you write your story, refer to this list of ingredients, and consider adding them to your novel when you're stuck for ideas or directions.

Bad Book

Now, think about all those books you’ve read or started to read that put you to sleep by theend of page one. You know, the ones that you’d rather eat a mayonnaise, peanut butter, and onion sandwich than have to read again. In the spaces below, list the title and author of three books you really did not like reading.

1. Title

    Author

2. Title

    

    Author

3. Title

    Author

Now, write a list of things that, to you, made these books so awful. Were the characters or events just too far-fetched? Did you think to yourself "I could totally have done a better job than these authors"? Again, you can be as general or as detailed as you like; include anything from “cheesy endings” to “unbelievable plot twists.” 

Just like the list of things you love in a book, keep this list with you at all times during November. It might seem strange that you would have to remind yourself of the things you dislike in novels, but these items are experts in the art of ending up in your story without you even realizing it.

Happy Reading!
The Things You Can Read

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