What do readers want?

[yowser]

I return to a quote from Nabokov that I have mentioned before. (I wish that I had been been the one who had said it (and felt it, and wish that I could write like him... on and on, lots of wishes.):

“I don’t wish to touch hearts, I don’t even want to affect minds very much. What I really want to produce is that little sob in the spine of the artist-reader.”

I think all of us like it when someone comments on our story in a way that indicates they 'got it.' That you've made that connection, that observation, that truth that somehow sailed across from your mind to theirs and landed.

I think @MelissaBaby is on to a good notion, that 'empathy' is a key attribute in writing, probably both for the writer and the reader as well. She has said this elsewhere, also using the term 'compassion.' I think it's a good stance to take.

The best writers I know evince both empathy for their characters as well as their readers. They treat readers with respect, and let them know that they are in good hands while the story unfolds.

 

[MrHereWriting]

That's still on my list, but for Idris. I keep watching him in terrible movies and I've heard good things about The Wire.

Also vote Idris for post-Craig James Bond.

Never been into Bond. I think I've seen one Pierce Brosnan Bond movie and one of Daniel Craig's. Idris Elba is great in The Wire, great character, a great villain for a one of the best shows ever on TV, that I've seen. Maybe if there'd been no era of comic book movies, he'd have a better resume. A lot of actors might have a better resume, but he's only a part of the show and they put him in just enough to keep you wanting more without making you feel like you're not seeing him enough.

 

[sirhugs]

As I posted in another thread, Sean Connery was the only real Bond.