And How to Get Them

So, what makes a good book? Why do some books bore you to tears and others you can’t put down?

I’m sure there are innumerable answers to that question. Of course there is an awful lot that has to go into a novel, but to me if you don’t have four key areas written well, the book could fall flat.

Here are four ingredients to consider before and while writing your story.

A Strong Protagonist:

This is arguably the most important part of your story. It doesn’t matter if you’re writing a short story or a 100k word novel. A well developed protagonist is vital.

It is so important to your story that I wrote a mini eBook in a questionnaire format that helps writers build and develop a main character who can pull a reader into your story so deeply, they are sad when the story eventually ends.

Without a developed protagonist, your readers won’t be able to get to know them. They won’t feel a need to root for them, fear for them, laugh and cry with them.

Nicholas Sparks is fantastic at showing you the depth or emotions of his characters. They become real people in your mind. That’s what you want.

My Advice: Don’t begin writing your story no matter how fantastic your story idea is until you know your character like you know yourself.

A Vivid Storyline:

You’re probably thinking, “Well, of course. How can you write a book without a good story idea?”

That’s not what I mean. You need to bring the story alive; use all the senses in your scenes. Two teenagers could be at a bus terminal at 2 am, planning to run away and elope. To make that scenario come alive, you’d need to not only describe the people and the scene, but to make sure the reader knows how crowded is the station? How noisy? What are the odors? What emotions are each character experiencing? Are they scared? Nervous? Afraid of an abusive parent showing up? Why? What will the parent do?

Capture the sights, sounds, feelings, etc. that are going on in the scene.

Can you write it in a way that creates a bit of unrest in your reader because your scene is so alive? Can you have them on the edge of their seats wondering what’s going to happen?

That’s what a great story needs in every scene: sights, sounds, feelings, emotions, imagery.

Leave No Stone Unturned:

Nothing screams reader dissatisfaction quite like plot holes. What I do as I’m writing (I write in a notebook, then type), is to use a highlighter to mark things in my story I need to return to , answer, or resolve.

I have a magical cat who can talk in the novel I’m currently writing. In one of the scenes I have him say something cryptic that no one understands. I needed to remember to come back to that at some point in the book, otherwise there’ll be a plot hole, a stone left unturned. It is vital to the story, so I need a reminder to return to it and I don’t want to frustrate my readers with unanswered questions.

A Satisfying Ending:

You don’t have to have a “happily ever after” ending. It could be happy, sad, it doesn’t matter. You just need to leave the reader satisfied. You could choose from a variety of endings, but whatever you choose should satisfy.

A Few Ideas on How to End Your Novel:

• an ending where you show how much your character has grown since the beginning
• a surprise ending– a place your reader never expected.
• emotional ending– an ending that leaves the reader feeling deeply for the protagonist.
• a question ending. This is good for a book that is part of a series. It can leave your reader guessing what is going to happen next.

My ideas and advice aren’t all encompassing. I gave you a few to get the ball rolling.

If you need help creating a dynamic protagonist, m y eBook is only $2.99 on Amazon. “How to Create a Protagonist Your Readers Will Never Forget,” by me, Gina Burke.

I’d like to invite you to join my Facebook Group: “The Ins and Outs of Novel Writing,”

Happy Writing!