Writer’s Block Really Sucks…
I’m suffering from writer’s block. I don’t know what I want to write my Mercury about. I’ll just use my old stand “blogger starter.” I just write out the topic and see where this leads me…
I have to write a blog about Mercury by Hope Larson, and I struggling on how I can start this out… I liked the story, but really I got caught up in the artwork more. I would stare at a panel and think about the different ways in which I could re-interpret it, and wondered if I was “reading” the story right. Was the Mom too paranoid? Was she right on about her suspicions about the wanderer? I love graphic novels, and I’m so amazed at the level of care and thought that goes into a Graphic Novel. I remember pouring over one of the panels in the Graphic Novel and was amazed at how a little change of an eyebrow could alter the entire expression of a face.
In a nutshell, that’s why I love graphic novels. The beauty is in the simple details of the drawings. I can pour over a graphic novel and find something new the next time around that could completely change my opinion of the storyline. It is really hard for me to get passed this road block, but it passed my bench mark for a good read. Like Alan H., I have a long — commute to and from work, and I spent the majority of that time reading.
I know a book is good in the following ways
1. If I miss my subway stop.
2. When I look up from the book, I realize that I’m already at Kennedy and I wondered where exactly did that time go.
3. If I want to prolong my journey so that I can finish the book.
Hmmm.. what do you know? I did bang out a blog entry without entirely knowing what I was going to write about… I rule!!!!
How do you guys judge a good book?
52 thoughts on “Writer’s Block Really Sucks…”
For me, a good book does one or more of the following things:
->I finish reading it, close it, and then I just sit/stand/lie there to savor the lingering essence of the book.
->I want to read it again right away.
->For the next week, I relate everything in my life to the events, characters and descriptions of the book.
->It makes me think.
I judge a good book by:
– Reading the summary
– Relating it to my standards (I’m so picky)
and…
– Skimming the first few pages (Just to see if it’s interesting)
By then I should be walking away with about 4 books 🙂
When it’s the third or fourth time I’ve read it!
and when I can’t wait to go home and read it,
when I forget to take it in my bag and my subway ride doubles in time.
Years ago I read the following blurb: ‘A wonderful book that both teaches and pleases.’ What an economical summation of best that can be hoped for from any writer! A book that neither teaches nor pleases is a waste of time. One that manages to do both is a happy bonus that places the reader in the writer’s debt.
How do i know if its a good book?
1. if i can NEVER put it down, which happens alooooot
2. if while im reading i wanna ZIP through it,but once its done, i regret how fast i read it since its over 🙁
3. i cant judge a book by its cover art obviously, and when i read the reviews im never satisfied..what if someone gave it a bad review but it just wasn’t their kind of book? i might still looove it.
4. overall, im not really sure how i judge a good book, lol, work in progress but once i do find out how i judge a good book, you’ll be the first to know 🙂
Each page must hold me. If it doesn’t, I don’t continue. Whether I read 10 pages before sleep, or 100 pages on a Saturday, each page must do its job. Each is its own story teller that must hold me and hand me to the next.
Yoche, I completely agree with you. One time, I read the book back to back to back again.
Every year, I have to re-read a certain series (cough Harry Potter).
When a new book came out, I could set my answering machine to “Unless your name is Harry, Siris, Ronald or Severus, then I won’t be getting back until I’m done the book.” Yes, I am that kind of a harry potter fan.
if i can’t stop reading it
but if for some reason i must put it down
then i can’t stop thinking about it and what will happen next
A good book is not necessarily one that you can re-read. Books take you on journeys, and sometimes journeys are best done once. A good book lingers long after you’ve forgotten the cover art or the dog-eared pages.
For myself, I think the only way I can decide whether or not to read a certain book is…
-If a friend recommends it
-If the book sounds interesting just by reading the summary (OR)
-If after reading the first chapter I can’t put the book down
But one thing I know for sure is that you shouldn’t ever judge a book by it’s cover because you never know what’s inside the book that might put a smile on your face.
A good book
-Start reading and even if someone is yelling my name to get my attention i don’t hear until someone shakes me
-I start getting sad when there are only 2 or 3 pages left
-I reread it until i know the words before they come.
-I cant stop obssesing about the characters and the plot and tell everyone who will listen to go read it
-I go on a marathon and read as many other books by the same author
-Bonus if the cover art and Title are nice 😀
I love graphic novels 🙂
If it has an awesome looking cover, the first 10 pages are good and if the summery makes me interested it would be a good book.
an awesome book would captivate me in the first chapter, even though in the first chapter your just beginning to get familiar with all the characters, the setting/plot etc. some writers (aka STEPHANIE MEYERS) have such a great writers voice that they would captivate me and pull me towards the book. GO TWILIGHT SERIES!!!
I judge a book by reading the blurb at the back and if the storyline interests me I start reading it. Secondly, if I can finish it in one day, then it is an awesome book! If I go on and on about the book to my family members or friends, then it tells me the book was a great read and then I am tempted to find other books by the same author (chances are that if I found this book to be fantastic, so will be the other books by the same author). Last, but not least I also read a book if it is recommended by some of my friends or others who somewhat have the same taste as I do in books.
that is so true, Alfea. There are some books that were excellent, but I couldn’t read again. George Orwell is like that for me. His books are excellent, I have loved every single one of them, but are so exhausting, and really depressing.
I could never read them again, but they are among my favourite books in the world.
A GOOD BOOK WOULD BE THAT CAPTURES THE READERS ATTENTION FOR ME, A GOOD BOOK WOULD ABOUT FANTASY, WIZARDS, DEMONS, AND ACTION. THOSE THINGS I WOULD BE LOOKING FOR. WHAT TYPE OF BOOKS YOU LIKE?
I read the summary and usually there is some hook or whatsoever like a hook that I just HAVE to know. Sometimes, I’m pathetic and I sift through the pages just to find out what it is without having to read the entire story (if the other parts of the plot don’t seem interesting enough). I declare a book as a favourite of mine if it inspires me for the day =D
I know a book’s good when I skip watching Gossip Girl to read it or when I walk around the house reading it (it hurts when I bump into stuff).
I know when I’m reading a good book when
…the words are so powerful that I’m forced to read slower and really think.
…when I’m not reading, I either just want to just stop and think or get back to the book.
…I really, really want to share it.
Graphic novels amaze me as well. I enjoy drawing quite a bit, but I draw with every line. Instead of simplifying, I think I somehow do the opposite. I could never write a graphic novel. It would just tale too long!
As for judging a good graphic novel, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about it. I figure the words should be roughly half as enjoyable without the drawings and the drawings should be half as comprehensible without the words. The writing should animate the drawings and the drawings should act almost as literary devices to the words.
For me, I usually give up on reading the book halfway through if I don’t find any action. But I prefer to read through most books until the end.
i just read books i can come across
i also like short books, they capture mah attention easlier
but in all these types of books, i like books with a little bit of everything
It is very good for teenage students. because it is very time passing.
It is my favourite book I ever read. This is very good story.
I like this very much. because it is very use ful for me.
When I feel disappointed about completing the book and not being able to continue reading the story. If it’s a part of a series or a trilogy or whatnot, then I can look forward to the next one at least. But when that’s over…I can only read the book over again some other day and enjoy it again.
For me, I know a book is good when:
1. After I finish, I would stare at the cover and think about the ending
2. I go back and reread my absolute favourite scenes
3. I obsess over it – I’d rather skip dinner than put it down and it’s all that I want to talk about
4. I pray for a sequel (or at least a second epilogue)
And because I usually avoid rereading books, I know it’s an amazing book if I can still enjoy the second time around.
🙂
I actually find that books my friends reccomend aren’t that great. I suppose we have different tastes. In any case, I handpick books from the shelf (with a little help from how many rave reviews it has) so I read some of the content before commiting to actually buying/borrowing.
For me, I judge a good book by it’s:
-title
-sometimes its cover
-mostly the back
-I usually skim through the book to maybe the middle section, because sometimes in the beginning when things start out slow and the world is still forming, it’s kinda boring, but usually in the middle or so, there’s already action, so yeah. But I also read the first lines too, to see if the author is good at capturing attention in the beginning and following up.
-Sometimes the author. If I read one of the author’s past books, then I try the book out.
oh wow!!
I like this topic! For me, this is how I know if I’m totally into the book:
1. I always think about it
2. Look for fansites
3. Look up the author
4. Put the book down then daydream what will happen next
5. Miss my bus stop
6. I’d rather read than study for exams
7. Miss my favourite TV show
8. Finish it in one day
9. Spoil the endning
10. Re-read the book
11. Buy the book
Judging a good book BEFORE reading…well…that’s quite a different story for me.
If I don’t know the author, I usually go to my favourite genres first. Then if the title interests me (or the cover), I look up the blurb. If it’s interesting, I pick it up.
More often though, I pick up a book that’s already written by an author whose other books I’ve read.
There are also cases where the books are recommended to me. If not, sometimes, when I look up a book I liked in the net, I’d see some other books quite like it and then I’d look up the reviews for that book.
I read a book, by its cover :$ or its back
If the cover is interesting and makes me have questions, than I read it. If the back makes me think than I read it, Or If I’ve heard a lot about it.
A Book is approved by me if after I finish it I can not stop thinking about it, and although I am uncapable of reading a REAL book more than once, I reflect upon it.
If scenarios from a book pop into my minds at random times, I know the book was good. 🙂
🙂 🙂 🙂
agreed!!!!!!!1
I know when it is a good book when I obsess over the characters and I fall in love with them!!!!!!
and if I can’t put it down!!!
and if my paren’ts can’t pull me out of it!!!!!
When I stop reading I regret that it’s over!!! (luckly I’m not upset for too long because good books aren’t too hard to find)
Mostly it’s all of them at once!!!!!
whenever i read a book, i always read every page of the book then close it up, think about it, open the book and re-read it and then maybe buy the book to keep it
I know a book is good when I don’t see time go by. I am so absorbed by the story that it takes effort to come back to the real world, i just feel like reading all day !
I also know it’s a good book when I reread a part just because it made me laugh so much, or keep tabs to refer to whenever I need a pick-me-up.
agreed 😛
me too!
one of my favs!
lol
wow… I love these responses.. wow….
I know that it is a great book when I forget my favourite shows too… So amazing!
This may sound totally geeky, but I actually do a bit of research on the book I plan to read and see the written reviews to a get a sense of what other people thought of it.
I usually never judge a book by its plot (unless it’s something overdone like, oh say, a girl who falls in love with a hot guy, but little did she know he’s actually from the realm of the supernatural! Etc, etc, etc.).
I love it when I come across a really engrossing book, which usually means endless hours spent reading it until my eyes start burning towards the end of the day(worth it though).
Helen,
It’s geeky in “that rules,” kind of way, and it might be a better method than mine. I walk the stacks and wait a title to “speak to me” and that’s how I pick my books.
A good book for me should be;
1. suspenseful
2. I shouldn’t be able to put the book down
3. has fantasy, magic, mystery
4. doesn’t make me skip all the way to the end
A good book is usually ones that are all ripped up and tattered with an occasional stale smell when its pages are fanned; it is rarely present on library shelves.
I agree
I usualy judge a book by seeing if i somehow relates to me or my life 😀 and by that books are really intresting
Hmm…a good book…
-If book is part of a series, then I’ll want to read the next right now
-Leaning towards the end of a scale from 1 to 10
-Leaves me satisfied
For me a good book is when your so into the story that you don’t want to put the book down, and when you actually do put the book down your still anxious about what could happen next. A good book draws you into the story line and makes the characters, setting and events seem so much more real and familiar than just the average book.
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