Many readers have asked me how I put together a story that they can’t put down. While there are several factors involved, I have broken them down into five key elements. There are smaller ones that I’ll get into later, but I thought I would start with these. I hope you enjoy! Character Development Meaning that you have to help the reader get to know your characters. Get the reader to like them, too. It’s not enough just to acquaint. You have to hook them in, so that when the story begins to unfold, you keep their interest. Make the reader care about the people telling your story, or the reader will not care about the story, either. Romance Tip:In romance, it’s not enough to develop the story for each individual character, you also need to develop the romantic arc itself. You can’t simply have two people who lead interesting lives, and just mix them up together, making them fall in love. To have a powerful romance, you have to build it. Decide what kind of romance you want to create: slow burn, instant sizzle, etc., and build based on that pace. Interesting Characters It’s not enough to just have characters. That’s a given that a book has to have people in them to tell the story. They have to be exciting via elements within their lives. If you tell a story about boring people, then the story itself will be boring, unless, of course, the story is what makes them un-boring, ie. There is a lesson in there somewhere that makes the character more interesting, that’s different. A VillainFor me, every story has to have some sort of villain or evil behind it somewhere. This helps to shape the characters. It gives them a challenge. It also gives balance to the book. If you have all sunshine and roses, then the story will be too sweet and less interesting. Especially if it’s a romance. I think sometimes the villains are as important as the main characters in a romance, because they tend to bring out the romantic arc more by creating more closeness with the characters’ relationship. A Lesson or a ChallengeThis goes hand in hand with having a villain. It’s about balance. Creating a story that has no impact will do just that. This is the part where you can sprinkle a little bit of wisdom in your story. Help the reader learn something. Take something that you’re good in (or can research) and add in that element. It can be anything from travelling to a different country, overcoming illness (mental/physical), etc. Some of the lessons I’ve used in my stories are: mental illness, drug abuse, alcoholism, physical deformity, PTSD, the list goes on. Cliffhanger Chapter Endings This is something really cool that I picked up on when reading the Fifty Shades trilogy. E.L. James mastered this, and I use it frequently, too. To keep the reader turning the pages, don’t end the chapter. Leave a scene hanging so the reader has to read on to find out what happens. The cliffhanger ending to a book is a little bit different and I’ll get into that later. Bonus: Make it Realistic and Relatable.Depending on taste, a reader may strive for a book that is true-to-life, or fantasy. Personally, I can’t get past a novel that I can’t relate to. Which is why you’ll never catch me reading (or writing) fantasy or science fiction. Some romance readers often look for something completely off the wall, too, and as a writer, you must decide what market you are targeting. In my opinion, it’s best to shoot for your own taste.
For me, after reading a handful of romances that were so farfetched, I couldn’t stomach the thought, and I vowed to make my books as realistic as possible. No fake boyfriends, husbands, anything like that. That’s my creative edge and what my readers enjoy. It says so right in my tagline: Love stores that could actually happen. But again, it’s all in what your taste is. Just be careful to create a story that is remotely realistic/relatable, unless it’s satire or something clearly written on the label. Give your readers what you say you’re going to give them.
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AuthorWriting stories I love to read. Consequently, others enjoy reading, too. Archives
April 2021
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