Writers are, almost without exception, readers. That stands to reason. That doesn't mean we like everything we pick up to read. The story goes that James Fenimore Cooper was reading a novel he considered bad, and he complained aloud to his wife. She said if he didn't like what he was reading, maybe he should write a book himself. Hence, a bunch of novels known as classics (although I had plenty of students who didn't like them.)

There are tons of ways to write a good novel, but for today, I'm going to boil it down to three.

1. Combine excellent prose with an excellent plot.

2. Write in acceptable prose with an excellent plot.

3. Use acceptable prose with an acceptable plot.

There are many variances, of course, but the best writers have command of the language that most of us don't have, and they use their gift to devise a plot that makes us want to read on. 

Many books you hear about fall into category 2: the writing is good, maybe really good in patches, and the plot pulls you forward. As a writer, I like to add something intriguing to the usual formulaic plot line of a mystery: crime, investigation, solution. My sleuths have more to deal with than just solving a crime. Some are handicapped. Some are recovering from traumatic events. Some are dead. I don't put myself in the "excellent prose" category of writing, but my plots are interesting enough that readers enjoy them.

Sadly, a lot of books I buy fall into category three. The prose is just okay, and so is the plot. The problem for someone who's been reading books for seven decades is that I figure out how most plots will go in the first chapter, so unless the writer has an intriguing twist or a captivating writing style, I'm soon bored. Often I skip through, reading a paragraph or two every few pages to get the gist of things. Sometimes I give up altogether and try a new book. If you're not Category One or Category Two, the likelihood that I'll read every word is pretty low.