A Twitter friend posted a link to an article on Writers Digest about best-selling fiction. It is surprising — or on second thought, not surprising — how many of the qualities of good fiction are also the qualities of good web content.
Writer’s Digest excerpted the list from “The Writer’s Little Helper,” by James V. Smith, Jr., which came out in 2006 and has been updated and re-released this year. Mr. Smith is also the author of the military fiction series, “Delta Force.”
The 21 Key Traits of Best-Selling Fiction
- Utility (writing about things that people will use in their lives)
- Information (facts people must have to place your writing in context)
- Substance (the relative value or weight in any piece of writing)
- Focus (the power to bring an issue into clear view)
- Logic (a coherent system for making your points)
- A sense of connection (the stupid power of personal involvement)
- A compelling style (writing in a way that engages)
- A sense of humor (wit or at least irony)
- Simplicity (clarity and focus on a single idea)
- Entertainment (the power to get people to enjoy what you write)
- A fast pace (the ability to make your writing feel like a quick read)
- Imagery (the power to create pictures with words)
- Creativity (the ability to invent)
- Excitement (writing with energy that infects a reader with your own enthusiasm)
- Comfort (writing that imparts a sense of well-being)
- Happiness (writing that gives joy)
- Truth (or at least fairness)
- Writing that provokes (writing to make people think or act)
- Active, memorable writing (the poetry in your prose)
- A sense of Wow! (the wonder your writing imparts on a reader)
- Transcendence (writing that elevates with its heroism, justice, beauty, honor)
via Selling a Book: The 21 Traits Your Fiction Book Should Have.