Wednesday 27 August 2008

Giving your story that extra zest

Tell Me a Story - Advice 

AJ, how can I make my story more interesting to others. I've asked a couple of friends to read it, and they both glazed over afterwards. I know they didn't think much of it, but they made the right 'noises' just so I wasn't upset.

Look at books by successful authors to see how they did it and why you found it interesting. You really should delve into each of your characters until they become 'real' to you. Develop them so they exist as people in your mind, know everything about them, all their faults and highlights, their likes and dislikes, their favourite music, food, films etc.

Unless YOU feel your character's problems are real, no one else will.
Before you start to write, rehearse the story in your mind until you're in the correct mood. Feel the emotions you want to generate in the story, be at 'one' with your characters and the problems they're facing. Have empathy.

You must also make sure you have a central problem running throughout the story, one that can't be resolved until the very last few pages of the last chapter of the book. Make the problem one that is of paramount importance to the central person, something that affects them if it cannot be resolved. Intertwine this major problem with with minor problems that are resolved within a few chapters.

Hope you found this of value.... and keep writing.

-----------------------------------------------------------
Looking for a good read? Try:-

or
Past Sins - Contemporary fiction

1 comment:

Schuyler Thorpe said...

This is what I've been trying to tell people forever--it seems--about writing: You have to do more than just be 'in character'...you have to exploit your own potential as a writer by injecting a sense of *realism* into each of your creations.

We each have to to BEYOND the limitations of the templates and start thinking 'mult-dimensional'--if we really want to get anywhere with our books.

Sky