Okay – what’s your first thought when reading that title? Mine was literally, “Write a five start book.”
I expected this to be yet another step-by-step guarantee on how to write a novel and make money and get a movie deal and have everyone in the industry crawling to your virtual doorstep and begging to you write for millions of dollars – but it’s actually a good article:
How are books judged? What exactly constitutes a ‘starred review’? Novelists live and die by reviews, yet uncovering what garners a gushing ovation or blistering takedown is often a mystery. A professional critic lays out what it takes to earn five-star book reviews.
Critical Thinking: The 5 Factors That Earn 5-Star Book Reviews | WritersDigest.com
Now, this article presents a very nifty little picture:
Notice that the founding of “what makes a good good” is simple it’s readability. That’s not talking plot and cool characters, it’s talking sentence structure, flow, pacing, and the mechanics in which the plot, characters, and themes operate. Readability is the bottom of the pyramid, the foundation on which all the other points rest upon.
This is why the mechanics of grammar are so important. Plot will only go so far. A cool premise is only as cool as the way it is presented.
I highly recommend giving this article a once or twice over if you’re a writer – not necessarily a writer looking for answers to the question, “How to I get people to review my book?” Because this article isn’t about getting reviews; it is what makes a book good enough that people leave reviews of it.
Beatrice B. Morgan 
Thanks so much for sharing this resource 😊
Also, I wasn’t sure where to send you this message, so I’ll leave it here: I started reading Devil’s Blood last night, and I love your writing style! 😭 My goodness, it is beautiful. I hope to one day be able to write as well as you.
I know that sounds real mushy, but I struggle with character intros, and you managed to capture each character so effortlessly. I also love how you added the bitter cold in a way that wasn’t dry-setting, this-is-the-weather, but almost like a character itself.
Anyway, just really wanted to tell you that, honestly ✌
Take care,
Yari
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That’s beyond a relief to hear you say! The intros are by far one of the places that I struggle with the most – that intro changes SO MANY times, even after I hit “publish.”
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Well you did a fantastic job and I wouldn’t change a thing now 😘 I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the story!
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