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

[secretsolitaire.livejournal.com]

I don't know if I can put it into words, but sometimes I just feel as soon as I start reading that I am in good hands with an author. The prose is smooth, the characters ring true, and there's something interesting going on, whether it's emotional tension or some plot scenario that establishes a conflict or surprise or whatever.