Hello! Melissa here. I was thinking about what to write, and I read someone else’s post about small town settings. It got me to thinking about reader preferences, specifically suspense readers. I know what I like, but is that indicative of most suspense readers? I’m curious.
So, here is a reader preference survey of sorts. I’d love to hear what you think!
Location:
- Small town
- Backwoods/country
- Big city
- Globetrotting
Threat/problem:
- Terrorism
- Personal threat
- Global pandemonium
Christian content:
- Full-on evangelizing, borderline sermons
- Hints only
- Strong faith sprinkled in
I personally feel any of these is great. It just depends
on the story. I want faith in my stories (I think faith should be throughout
our lives), but some stories call for a more subtle approach, and others call
for stronger.
Character personality – female:
- Damsel in distress
- Tough/aggressive
- Quirky
- Girl next door
Character personality – male:
- Playboy
- Wounded recluse
- Anti-hero
- Smooth/charming
- Goofy/funny
- Boy next door
I admit I’m a sucker for the wounded soul.
Character appearance – female:
- Stunning but not showy
- Dolled up/fashionable
- Regular gal
- homely
Character appearance – male:
- Gorgeous but prickly
- Gorgeous and charming (and knows it)
- Formerly beautiful but now scarred
- Regular guy
- Awkward
Or is there a description I didn’t capture? I’m so
interested to see your comments!
My latest book! It’s globetrotting and kind of a hidden
global pandemonium that the average person isn’t aware of.
Ancient bloodlines, secret societies, an attempt in her
life, and a familiar yet enigmatic stranger…
Thousands of miles from home, Isa sees a man who looks
intensely familiar. After she thwarts an attempt on her life, she escapes down
the mountain with the familiar man, Xander, and he explains about four ancient
bloodlines, each with its own unique set of skills: Cicero, Solomon, Sun Tzu,
and Lilith. He belongs to a secret society devoted to observing and recording,
but never interfering. Until now.
As Isa fights to survive, she grows close to Xander. She
learns of her abilities passed down through blood and struggles to uncover the
truths of her past. She decides she has to put a stop to the killing of the
bloodlines and protect Xander from any further harm…even if it kills her. But
will the truth of the killer’s motivations and identity be too much to handle?
I'm going with: backwoods/country, personal threat, strong faith sprinkled in, quirky female, boy next door, regular gal and regular guy. This was fun - thanks!
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of a story set in the backwoods, but I haven't written one yet. Getting creative juices flowing...
DeleteI haven't written a quirky female lead, but I did write a supporting one in The Lost Library (Ivy)--that was super fun.
Love your input!!!
I'm thinking small town, global pandemonium, strong faith sprinkled in, girl next door, wounded recluse (because I, too, am a sucker), regular gal, and formerly beautiful.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear someone else is a sucker for the wounded recluse!
DeleteGlad to hear someone else is a sucker for the wounded recluse!
ReplyDeleteSmall town and backwoods
ReplyDeletePersonal threat
Strong faith
Tough
Woundedrecluse
I love strong characters and am not a fan of the fashionista type. For the rest of it, as long as it's well written and is logical, it doesn't matter.
ReplyDeleteI love small towns or back woods... maybe a tiny bit of big city for effect. Any genre except horror. Not too much romance, and at 78, this might sound silly, but zi REALLY dislike the helpless female rescued by the "perfect" guy. I like to see some imperfections, even in looks, and I like strong women who stand side by side with the leading man, ready to fight along side him (and maybe with him on occasion LOL).
ReplyDeleteIt's impossible to choose because it does depend on what fits for that story. I would say instead of homely, plain. The characterization you picked could work for either character.
ReplyDeleteMy picks: running from big city to small town, girl next door guy next door (who has always liked her), strong faith sprinkled in, personal threat
ReplyDeleteThank you so wanting our thoughts! This is kinda fun. I actually think the preferences can be flexible depending on the story line. However, with that in mind, here is my reasons (that may be subject subject to change). wileyluvstabby(at)comcast(dot)net
ReplyDeleteOops... Google autocorrect and my spastic finger got the best of me this time... meant to say, here are my preferences:
Delete- Small town or big city
- Personal threat
- Full-on evangelizing, borderline sermons or strong faith sprinkled in
- Girl next door
- Boy next door
- Regular gal
- Regular guy
Picks: Small town, personal threat, strong faith sprinkled in, quirky, anti-hero, stunning but not showy, gorgeous but prickly
ReplyDeleteFor me, the location and the threat just aren’t that important, I like them all. I agree with your comments about the faith, that different stories can have a different level, as long as there is faith in it (not just “they said grace” or “went to church”). I believe God uses Christian books to reach the lost, and I’ll trust Him to put into the story what’s needed to reach someone. My least favorite characters are damsel in distress and smooth, charming as my mental health brain says apathetic and narcissist lol. Lastly, I have no preference for their appearance as long as it matches their personality.
ReplyDeleteBack woods /country, personal threat, strong faith sprinkled in. girl next door, wounded recluse, reg girl, reg guy. Alicia Haney aliciabhaney(at)sbcglobal(dot)net
ReplyDeleteLocation: all off them! I like variety. But maybe by just a tiny bit, small-town is my favorite.
ReplyDeleteThreat: personal
Christian content: I love to see strong faith mixed in the entire story but all three options are good. Gina Holder is really good at this.
Female character personality: quirky
Male character personality:Goofy/funny or boy next door
Character appearance female:regular gal
Character appearance malee:regular guy or awkward
The new book sounds intriguing!
Location:
ReplyDelete- Backwoods/country
Threat/problem:
- Personal threat
Christian content:
- Strong faith sprinkled in
Character personality – female:
- Quirky
Character personality – male:
- Wounded recluse
Character appearance – female:
- Regular gal
Character appearance – male:
- Regular guy
Location - Globetrotting
ReplyDeleteThreat/problem - Personal threat
Christian content - Hints only
Female Character - Quirky girl next door
Male Character - Funny boy next door
Female Appearance - Fashionable regular gal
Male Appearance - Charming regular guy
Location: Backwoods/country
ReplyDeleteThreat/problem: Personal Threat
Christian content: Strong faith sprinkled in
Character personality – female: Quirky
Character personality – male: Wounded recluse
Character appearance – female: Regular gal
Character appearance – male: Regular guy
Any of them but favorites are:
ReplyDeleteSmall town or backwoods/county
Personal threat
Strong faith sprinkled in
Female personality think my favorite is quirky and least favorite is damsel in distress.
Male personality think my favorite is also wounded soldier (old Army brat here), and least favorite is the playboy.
As for character appearance, for the both female and male, I lean towards regular gal and guy. It’s not the looks that are important to me, but what’s underneath, how they act towards others and fit into the story that works for me.
I like small towns and back woods, personal threat and terrorism, strong faith sprinkled in, tough and aggressive, boy next door, regular gal, regular guy. Thank you for the opportunity. God bless you.
ReplyDeleteBackwoods/country, Terrorism, Strong faith sprinkled in/Hints only
ReplyDeleteThese look like some great reads. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteTakes place in a small town. Girl next door, stunning but not showy. She has a strong belief in God. The boy is Playboy, gorgeous and charming (and knows it). She thinks he's not interested in her, but he really is obsessed with her. She's unaware. She gets personnel threats, but has no idea it's him.
ReplyDeleteLocation: Small town or Backwoods/country
ReplyDeleteThreat/problem: ANY
Christian content: as long as there is Gospel (what if an unbeliever reads your story - I think it should be clear)
Character personality – female: ANY
Character personality – male: ANY
All of these factors are dependent on the story :)
I Like small town and backwoods and country and I just love reading have a great Day Sarahbaby601973@gmail.com
ReplyDelete