Surprise, delight, and mastery: these together are the sine qua non of successful literary writing, as I’ve suggested here before. They represent the qualities editors are always looking for in the stories, poems, and essays we publish.
Yet there’s another essential criterion, one that precedes those others. Writers themselves often lose sight. Yet it goes to the heart of what makes an individual piece worth reading. Does it, we ask, really matter? Are its stakes high enough to capture a reader’s attention, a reader’s heart? Do they grab us by the throat so we must keep reading? Ultimately, nothing less will do.
Already have an account? Log in
Join KR for even more to read.
Sign up for a free account and read any five pieces a month.
