My Top 5 Favourite Authors

Narrowing down my favourite authors to just five is an incredibly difficult task for me as I love so many different genres and there are so many brilliant authors out there.
If I listed every author I liked, this post would take about six months to write! To help me narrow it down to just five, I am only going to include authors who have written more than one book/series that I have read and enjoyed. These are the authors who I actively seek out, and keep up to date on their new books, the ones who have rarely (if ever) disappointed me, the ones whose books I know I will enjoy before I even know what they are about, and the ones I can read over and over again.

1. Stephen King - I think I have read every Stephen King book, except the new one, which I am eagerly awaiting! I love all of his books, especially when he sticks to the horror genre. He really does do horror better than any other writer I have come across.
2. Jodi Picoult - I've mentioned her before, so I won't go into great detail, but she is still one of my all time favourites. If you want to know why, see here: http://myrandommusings.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/j-is-for-jodi-picoult.html
3. Diane Chamberlain - Diane Chamberlain writes about everyday people and their lives and dilemmas. I find her books very relatable and interesting. Her characters are always well written.
4. John Grisham - I love a good courtroom drama, and for me, John Grisham does this better than any other writer in the genre.
5. Sylvia Day - I think Sylvia Day deserves a mention here. She gets overlooked a lot because when you think of great writers, the female erotica (mummy porn?) writers usually don't come straight to your mind. But she's good at what she does, and she writes well. Think 50 Shades but well written, with more character development, an actual plot and for people with a reading age of over seven!

Do you agree with my list? Who would you add or remove?

Follow me on Twitter @randommusings29 and feel free to comment :)

Fictional Fun Linky Number 1

Here goes! My first ever linky! To say I'm a little nervous would be an understatement, but I'm also really excited!

The theme is Fictional Fun! Link up your short stories or poems, your posts about fiction, books, writing, authors, book reviews, literally anything about fiction or books. Any genre, any age group!

I will read and comment on every post linked.

 

The rules.

1. Please make sure the posts fit the theme.

2. Link up to 3 posts, old or new.

3. Please add my badge to any linked up posts - copy and paste the code into the HTML section of your post.

4. Please read and comment on at least 2 other posts, but feel free to do as many as you want to! Share the love!

5. To keep up to date with what's happening when, feel free to follow me on Twitter @randommusings29

6. Share your post's URL on Twitter using #fictionalfun and @randommusings29 and I will retweet them all!

 

The last 2 aren't rules as such: number 5 is just a polite request ;) and as for number 6, after you go to the effort of linking up, you may as well get a bit of extra publicity for your posts :)

 



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X Is For X Factor Of Writing

Day 24 of my A to Z Challenge. X is for X-Factor Of Writing.

If you don't know how this works, I've posted the link back to the rules of the challenge at the end of this, along with a link to yesterday's post. If you want to read my full alphabet, just keep following the links. Each day has a link back to yesterday's post.

X is a hard letter! For most of the other letters, I've had several subjects to choose from, but this one has been a challenge in itself!
Originally, I planned on doing something on the X-Factor TV show - which I do love - but I figured as we are so far past the last series and so far away from the new series it wouldn't be the most exciting post! Anyone who likes the show has seen all the headlines and doesn't need me to re-hash them, and anyone who doesn't like the show probably wouldn't want to read about it.
So it came down to X-rays, or something using the term x-factor in a broader sense.  As I'm currently writing a blog, I went with the x-factor of writing.

What do people mean by the term x-factor? It's that one thing that sets you apart from the crowd. That special something, that while you can never quite put your finger on exactly what it is, you still know when someone has it.
What is the x-factor of writing? What makes a good read? Why are some authors massively successful and others can't even get their work read by publishers or agents?

I would like to say its down to good luck and timing, but I think there has got to be more to it than that. I believe luck plays a small part - an agent just happens to have an opening as you finish your manuscript, for example. But there's got to be more to it than that.

A great writer knows how to use the language beyond basic speech. They make pictures out of words, and music out of syntax. They understand how to use symbolism, and how words can be used in so many different ways. They can write something that shines with personality. That alone is not enough though, or anyone who has studied English would be a best selling author.

A great writer captivates their readers from the first page and holds their attention until the last one. They write characters that are relatable and believable. They have just the right amount of plot twists. They build suspense and know when to reveal the twist - too early and the rest of the book is just words, too late and the reader has lost interest. Their descriptions make you feel like you are really there. You can picture the place as vividly as your own house. You feel the characters emotions with them. Whether you want them to win or lose, you care what happens to them.

And to me that right there is your x-factor moment. When you can combine all of the above elements, and then add a pinch of magic. What is the magic ingredient? If you find out, let me know!

What do you think is the x-factor of writing?

Follow me on Twitter @randommusings29 and feel free to comment :)

Link to rules: http://myrandommusings.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/a-z-challenge-whos-with-me.html

Link to W Is For Writing For Yourself: http://www.myrandommusings.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/w-is-for-writing-for-yourself.html