Guest Post: A.L Jackson

I have a special guest with me today. In all actuality she is my first guest and I was honored that she is with me today. I read and reviewed Take This Regret, which was an awesome read. I present A.L Jackson.

What Makes a Story Memorable?

First of all, I wanted to thank Viari for inviting me to share with you all today on The eBook Reviewers. It’s great to be here!

What is your favorite book? As readers, aspiring writers, and authors, this is a question we are asked time and time again. It’s one that normally strikes me dumb, because I really can never pick just one. My favorites seem to change page to page and book to book.

But what is it about those stories that have earned that title as one of my favorites? Why is it that some books are forgotten within days while others become so special to us that we remember them forever?

For me, it’s emotion. I want to feel as if I know each character that I read and that I’m experiencing what they feel. If I’m hard pressed to remember characters’ names or faces days after I’ve finished a book, then it’s made little impact on me and won’t be one that I’ll remember in the long term. It’s the ability of a writer to show me a character’s heart, to reveal their fears and desires, and to maybe even cause me to fall a little bit in love with them that makes a book one of my favorites. I love when I become so absorbed in a story that it almost becomes real—when a character becomes real, then the story becomes real, regardless of setting or scenario.

So what is it about a story that reaches out and takes hold of you, and what books or characters pop into your mind when you’re asked What’s your favorite book?