What makes a story popular?

[karen_w_newton]

I have noticed from time to time that people will post about how badly written a best-seller is. This is particularly true for the Twilight series, but also for pretty much any popular fiction. In some cases it's that the writing is weak, and in others it's merely that it's not "literary" enough for some tastes or that it's in a specific genre

Comments

[bondo_ba]

Strangely resonant with my own thought process while writing my post today. I actually loved The Da Vinci Code, and read it in one sitting despite being warned off by my writerly friends!

And I adore the Harry Potter series. Twilight is so bad that I physically can't stand it, but I couldn't care less about the writing. It's the characters and plot I can't bear!

[karen_w_newton]

Even writers sometimes just want a good read!

[bogwitch64]

Brilliant! Both the post and the vid. (I nearly peed my pants when the chicken with a balloon head flashed on the screen.)

[karen_w_newton]

I thought the chicken with the balloon was an inspired way to represent what was probably many thousands of dollars worth of CGI.

[jongibbs]

Best 60 second summary ever :)

[karen_w_newton]

I thought so, too!