How to Write a New Book for New Authors..Pt.3

In part 2 it was pointed out that having a great ending in mind might be a great place to start when writing your new novel. That way, you can drive your readers to a big finish from the first page of your new book. Another idea to discuss is how to keep the readers attention. We have all read (at least I hope so) a book we just couldn’t put down. We couldn’t seem to read fast enough. Time went by and we were in the book not just reading it.

How do authors do it? And, more importantly, is it possible to enthrall a reader on the first try of your new book. Of course, it is. It’s like surfing or snowboarding. You need to know the trick to staying up. It seems everything has a trick and writing a new novel is no different. Remember this: Anything unusual, surprising or incongruent keeps peoples attention. You need “Oh my God” where the reader puts their hand over their mouth (why people do this I don’t know, but they do) and gasps for air. These little writing gems (tricks) are golden. These keep the reader wanting more and therefore needing to read on. You can do it, too. You just need to get in that mindset.

It reminds me of Larry the Cable Guy and other comics. They do this with almost every joke. “My big ol’ girlfriend is a runway model,” Larry would announce. Pause. “You know, out there at the airport.” Laughter. It’s misdirection. You expected a high class fashion show in your mind but “runway” was used in a different context and you were surprised. In a funny way, yes. But, still it worked and you need to figure out how to do this type of misdirection in your writing. This is one trick at least.

Another thing readers like is the unusual. They like unusual situations, cool abilities (McGiver stuff) and unusual confrontations. If your new novel can incorporate some unusual ideas and character development then this will keep the reader involved. Your new book needs to be interesting. Even biographies are written to be interesting. Think about making your characters interesting, too. If your characters are boring your new novel might be a little sleepy, too. It isn’t hard to develop interesting characters. Good writers can do it in a screenplay. If you haven’t read a screenplay, you should. They are a good way to see a long book like The Da Vinci Code broken down to a few lines. You can find screenplays to look at online with no problem.

So, it boils down to writing a good new book needs good misdirection and the unusual. If you write about boring people that are as predictable as the rising sun, your new book may not be as big a hit as you would like. Here’s another tip. Grab one of your favorite books and read it again. Look for misdirection and the unusual and see how the author did it. You may not have even noticed what was going on. Good writers are doing that. Gosh, even listen to Larry the Cable Guy or other comics. You will see what I mean. Good luck and don’t ever get discouraged. Be persistent. Persistent people always beat the most talented or most educated. Kick some booty.