It starts, for me, with the narrator. As a reader, I need to feel like I’m in good hands with the narrator. And that confidence needs to be established right from the get-go. In the opening paragraphs, I want the narrator to take me firmly by the hand and say “come with me . . . this trip will be gnarly, but I know the way, so hang on.”
I need to know that the narrator understands the characters on a deep level. At the same time, a good narrator isn’t gonna just vomit out the life story of each character as they are introduced. An expert narrator will have the confidence to take it slow.
Also, I want a vocabulary that matches the story. If a narrator is in a character’s head, and that character is an 8th grade dropout who cuts grass for a living, you better have a damn good reason if he sounds like a Tulane professor.
Above all, it can’t be boring. That’s the cardinal sin. Don’t be boring. Taking to your time to let the story play out is fine, but the words have to be interesting. I want a confident narrator telling a colorful story.
If you plan to submit something to New Bayou Books, please keep this in mind.
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