when you read, what do you look for in a piece of writing?

when you read, what do you look for in a piece of writing?

Fiction and non fiction

• Surprises. (plot twists, turns of phrase, slang, rhythms, jargon, cadence, dialogue, description. (Dawn Powell. Zora Neale Hurston. Penelope Fitzgerald. Peter De Vries. Edwige Danticat. Charlaine Harris.)
• Fluid grammar (Jamaica Kincaid. Tim Winton. Flannery O'Connor. Roberto Bolaño. )
• Or, if not fluid, distinctive. (Henry James. Hemingway.)
• Strong moods (The Long Goodbye. The Bell Jar. The Bible. Sula. Woman Warrior. The Ripley novels. Rebecca. Bubbeh. Jude The Obscure.)
• Beauty —wow, what does that mean, Gigi? Craft inextricable from mood, emotion and statement. Something mysterious, like the overtones generated by a perfectly pitched chorus. Something transcending the combined powers of author and reader.

Plays

(if it differs across genres, do tell)

• Revelation (ways the writer reveals info - plot or character info)
• Tension (Can't tell what's coming next. When it comes, you can't tell where it will lead)
• Pace
• Surprise

and what kind of writing inspires you.

Funny, witty, pessimistic, stylish, careful, crafty, splashy essays about clothing, couture, about odd things, like how Maria Callas lost her voice, and how this was interpreted or sold to the public. Cultural critique, I guess...

Novels no longer inspire me to write. They inspire me to obeisance.