I think all authors must have their plot outline (exposition, initial incident, conflict....etc). That is something all English classes study. Also things like Character development, theme, setting, all things we look at, and all things the author puts there for a purpose to get us wondering. If you didn't have this stuff there would be no story, so it is important to actually HAVE a story, but I wouldn't say it's what makes a NY times best seller. It's all about opinion, what people are interested in at the times, if there's a trend, and people want to continue with that literary trend they are going to read it. If someone wants to break away from the trend, and create something totally different, maybe the people want a literary change, therefor they read that.
A little more about the plot outline, and this is one of the things I happen to like about the story. You have the exposition, initial incident, conflict, climax, resolution (destroying the ring). But then there's this French phrase called Denameaut (sp?) (falling action), where after the climax the story begins to fall. In LOTR, everyone is saying their good byes and going back home. But, the author adds in an extra twist sort of like a "mini climax." In LOTR this is the scouring of the shire. That's a part of Tolkien I like about, that short climax, curve at the end, but I must say that isn't what makes it a "good" book.
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Fenris Penguin
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