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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/32913
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Consider style, plot and characters the three pillars on which your book is going to stand. All three should get a passing grade, a failure in one will ruin an otherwise promising book.

If you think that your critic is giving you an "F" for the style, and you believe that she may be right, that should be a serious concern. No matter how good your plot and characters can be, if your writing is poor, this definitely needs to be addressed.

If, on the other hand, your style is Ok (just may need some improvement), can you compensate any shortcomings there with strengths in different areas? I would say yes, and there are many examples, particularly among young authors, who deliver very successful books without showing much skill in literary style. Serious, demanding readers might look down on such authors, but you have to think about your target audience. Do you want your book to win acclaim among the most critical readers, or it's Ok to meet a less ambitious goal?

Polishing your style will take years, and you can write many good books while getting there.

Original score: 14