My son (youngest) has a thing. I call it a thing because I really don’ t know wha
t to call it. It starts with this: he does not like McDonald’s food. He loves to go to the playland, but refuses to eat, because according to him Burger King is the only place to eat chicken tenders and fries (and hamburgers are simply out of the question).
So, now, here’s where the thing comes in. My husband and I have affectionately dubbed it ‘The Hot Factor’. He will put his french fries on a napkin along with those little cups of ketchup. Then, he picks up a french fry, palms it in his hand and wraps his fingers around it (almost like he is squeezing it). The purpose of this is to check how hot it is. If it is not scalding to the perfect degree, he will put it down and never touch it again. Each fry goes through this careful inspection before it gets put in his mouth.
Strange. Weird. Silly. But it got me thinking….when it comes to books, how do you test their ‘hot factor’. And I don’ t mean in
terms of sexy. I mean in terms of absolutely, positively, captivating, must devour read. Do you stick to the tried and true authors that you love? Or, if you like to give new authors a shot, what draws you in, and what keeps you going back for more?
Oh! And, is there anything you do in your writing to ensure that your books will be someone’s ideal definition of ‘hot factor’?
OMG! My goddaughter only eats chicken tenders and fries from BK too.
As for the “hot factor” in books, I don’t care if it’s a new author or a well-established one, I grab the book and sit down to read the first couple of chapters. I must find myself interested in the characters, engaged in who they are and what’s happening with them. If it grabs my attention, if it makes me care about the hero/heroine, in the first 50 pages, I buy it. Otherwise, I put it back. If I find it midly good, I just reading it at the bookstore.
Now for the “hot factor” in my stories. Hm… Now this is a tough question. It’s hard to define what’s the others will consider a “hot factor.” I usually ask my CPs if my first chapter is engaging. If they don’t find it so, then it’s back to the drawing board. All I know is that those first few lines have to catch my audience. When I submitted Enduring Promise to Cobblestone Press, what made Sable want to give me a contract was those first few lines. I had her hooked, she told.
That was a big compliment.
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I tend to stick to what I already know…and look for things that claim to be “a new twist on” an author I already like, maybe something they’ve endorsed. I mean, it took me five years to read DaVinci Code. Mostly because I thought Dan Brown had enough money already, lol.
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I have several authors that are on my autobuy list, but I’m open to new authors as well. Not as open as I was before – I used to buy lots of new authors (at least, new for me) but was disappointed way too often. I guess, I have high standards!
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Hello people… I have this problme of not being able to keep my hands off of this aspiring to become published author.
I have found the real hot factor and I don’t plan on sharing her. so there.:drool:
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My other problem is with my typing…
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