
Distractions of the week
…. Wednesday – release of kindle day-job book ‘Essential Management Skills’ – New update of Scrivener software – Golf competition at Cradoc Golf Club – excellent day, but no cigar – Coronation Street -Eisteddfod at Bala – ‘Fargo’ – Online poker – New books : ‘Child of God’, ‘Frank’ – Cat waking up at 4 a.m. – Su Doku – Twitter – Thinking of idea for golf article for Culture Cymru -Still managed to write a chapter – result – reading an article on using writing style to predict the success of novels …………………….
I researched the research at …..
http://aclweb.org/anthology/D/D13/D13-1181.pdf
entitled Success with Style: Using Writing Style to Predict the Success of Novels
researched by Vikas Ganjigunte Ashok, Song Feng, Yejin Choi
Department of Computer Science, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-4400
They have uncovered the secret of success. Their research concerned the analysis of writing styles to predict if a novel will be successful or not. As part of the study there are a number of words analysed and determined as being successful or unsuccessful in novels.
Consider the following 2 paragraphs:
“Not really,” I said. “Words can say much about me, my unicorn and my turtle. Which to choose, that is the question? After the decision I ponder the questions – Where? What? Whom? Whenever I remembered my life, after my birth, I recognized the struggle within. So I must go up, out, into the void within.”
and
“Never take the risk. And worse never hit slaves hard. If a person is murdered, or even bruised on the arm or body the assailant will face a heavy prison sentence. As I sat in my room on the bay near the beach, watching my boat outside the door, I wanted to promise that I would cry, shout, but never go down that avenue. As I resisted the urge, I became very breathless until I reached a state where I became almost sacred where the slightest thought would make me absolutely perfect. “
Apparently the first one will be the most successful. According to the study (Success with Style: Using Writing Style to Predict the Success of Novels ) there is a way to predict success.
The most successful words to include in novels are – not, said, words, says, I, me, my, and, which, though, that, as, after, but, where, what, as, after, but, where, what, whom, since, whenever, up, into, out, after, in, within, recognized, remembered.
The less successful words are – never, risk, worse, slaves, hard, murdered, bruised, heavy, prison, face, arm, body, skins, room, beach, bay, hills, avenue, boat, door, want, went, took, promise cry shout, jump, glare, urge, never, very, breathless, sacred, slightest, absolutely, perfect
I suspect this would apply doubly to book titles. I guess the more good words you can combine, the better. I did a little research –
My list of ‘should be’ successful novels –
‘Me and My Brothers’. Technically not a novel but it was co-written by Charlie Kray so it’s technically anything it wants to be.
Who, What, Where, When, Die – Amanda M Lee.
Whenever They Call Me a Dreamer – Marsha L Sisk
Out – Natsuo Kirino
After Me, the Delude – David Forrest
Not I – Samuel Beckett. Again not exactly a novel but included because the list of successful words reads like Billy Whitelaw in a scene from a Beckett play.
List of ‘should not be successful’ novels –
Breathless – at least 10 different authors
Whenever Whenever – Richard Bradley
Beach, Bach, Boat, Barbecue – Penny Oliver and Ian Bachelor
74 Seaside Avenue – Debbie Macomber – will be about boats, beaches, Bach and barbecues, I suspect
“Don’t Cry for Me Aberystwyth” Malcolm Pryce ( a legend) with one of the best titles ever being a complex mix of good and bad
So, what have I learnt? – not much. Yes, you’re right – even with all the distractions I have got too much time on my hands. However my next book is going to be –
“Words Remembered, Not Said” – a romantic novel
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You can read the opening chapter of ‘Mynydd Eimon: Private Hell’ here, or you can get the book on Amazon and Kindle here
You can get the ‘Essential Management Skills’ Kindle book here
Reblogged this on MARSocial Author Business Enhancement group's Blog.