Sharon French asked P.H. Solomon:

What do you think makes a good story?

P.H. Solomon Thanks for asking, Sharon. As I think about the question, I’m drawn to the short answer: voice. This is a tricky aspect to identify for anyone and I'm not sure many of us have a good idea what it is. As I consider the concept of literary voice, I think perhaps it means the sum total of the author's story presentation - the cumulative effect of plot, characters, setting, ect, all being neatly woven together in such a way that the reader is engrossed to extent of experiencing the story with the characters. Most recently, I found The Hunger Games trilogy to be gripping because of literary voice. I liken the engaging, first-person narrative power of Katniss to that of Mattie Ross in the book, True Grit, on which the well-known western movies are based. The character's experiences ooze from the page and capture the imagination in both cases. Other voices I like in speculative fiction are Ursala K. LeGuin (the Earthsea Trilogy), Patricia A. McKillip (The Riddle-Master of Hed series) and John Steakley (Armor). I could list many more well-known authors too. What grabs and keeps your attention in a story?

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