What is the Core for Your Genre ?
So how do you determine what the core is of your genre? I’ve heard this “core question” idea before, and it is true that there are certain questions that strike at the heart of just about any genre.
Creating Likeable Protagonists
In Hollywood, it is said that “There are only two ways to make a likeable character.” Here are those two ways to help you with creating likable protagonists, plus a few more.
How to Start Publishing a Novel
So you have written a book, maybe a novel. How do you start publishing it so readers will be able to find it? And why is it so hard and complicated? Because there is no perfect way in which to hack or game the publishing industry.
Writing a Bestseller Novel in Three Easy Steps
So what goes into writing a bestseller? Here are three overall keys. 1. Write for a huge audience. 2. Serve Your Audience! 3. Market Effectively.
Heroes and Anti-Heroes
When you’re writing a novel, you will be creating heroes and anti-heroes. You may create a protagonist who is “heroic,” or one who is an “anti-hero.” But do you know the difference between the two?
Where to Place Your Dialog Tags
So there are the four ways that you use tags. Try to use them artfully. Pay attention to the natural pauses in your story, the beats. Those will help you figure out where to place the tags.
Is it a Good Time to Write?
As the Covid pandemic hit last year, I head a lot of doom-and-gloom from authors about how it would destroy the industry. Printers closed down, bookstores were put out of commission. Of course it is still a good time to write!
Improve Your Dialogue
Given this, an author should feel free to mix things up. Use said and asked when you feel that they are appropriate, especially when sentences are spoken in neutral tones.
Be An Original Writer
But there are lots of other ways to be original. You can be original in your language—in your word choice, the way that you describe things, and in your metaphors.
Hurting Your Characters
So learn to “put the hurt” on your characters. It will make your readers empathize with them more fully. But be careful when you show how your character reacts to that pain.