Tips for Authors (Part 1)
Question: What advice to you have to help with writing a better book?
What was the last good book that you read? What drew you to like it? Was it the setting? Were you able to relate to the people in the book? Think about how a good book should sound. It is like putting yourself in your readers' shoes. If you can't think of a good book, try to imagine a great movie you watched. So, what makes a book 'good'? Characters who leave their captive the minds of their audience. You don't just read about it. It is as if they take your hand and invite you into the story.
In your writing, you want to make sure you have:
- Engaging Characters: Books are flat, so characters don't have to be.
- Are your characters easy to forget? If so, your book won't be easy to remember as well. When your readers pick up your book, they look for the characters to engage them with their actions. They want to know all about the characters.
- What did they do?
- Were they hurt in the past or maybe even during the story?
- Will they be a protector in this story or one that does harm?
- Did they find strength they didn't know they had?
- Did they do something that seemed out of character?
- Did they overcome something that formerly had them bound?
- What surprises happened during the book?
- How did they talk?
- Where did they live?
- Were there any mistakes that followed them in life?
- Did they come through in a crunch?
- Did they experience a letdown or defeat during this book? If so, how did they deal with it?
- Did they help you to understand something that was formerly hard for you to comprehend?
- Did they help you through a difficult time in your life?
- Did you develop a passion you never for something that now drives you to do better in life or business?
I hope these tips help you in your next book. If you want advice on writing an engaging book, you can get my book "How to Keep them Reading, A Guide to Writing an Engaging Nonfiction" by Ebony Harris.