What makes you keep reading?

[emmagrant01]

A few days ago I asked what your fic-reading back buttons offenses are, and the response was kind of overwhelming. And they say LJ is dead, really?

But I felt bad about it because it kind of turned into a bit of a snark-fest of negativity, and that wasn't my intention at all. So now I want to try to ask another question. I'm very curious to see if this one will get a similarly enthusiastic response. :-P

What about a fic makes you want to keep reading? What are the things you see in those first few paragraphs that suck you in and make you think, "Oh, this is going to be good!"?

For me, it's a strong opening with good action or perfectly IC dialogue, where the author is showing (rather than telling) something happening that I haven't seen before and simply can't look away from. A really good fic throws me in the middle of an interesting situation from the get-go and gets me invested in the plot and in the characters immediately.

What about you?

Posted via LiveJournal app for iPhone.

Comments

[who_la_hoop]

I think it's easier to put into words what turns you off a fic rather than what makes one a good read. "Good writing" draws me in and keeps me reading - a firm grasp of grammar, a smooth way with words, and something interesting to hold my attention, whether that's character or plot.

Probably not someone waking up and eating their breakfast, or looking in a mirror and describing what they see :D