How to Write a Story that Sells

How to Write a Story that Sells


Get creative story ideas, write your own book!


Want to write a good book? Check out these tips on how to write a story that captures readers' attention from beginning to end:




How to Write a Story #1: Know Your Market, Get Story Ideas and Outline Your Plot


The first step is to know who you are writing for, and what your readers want; this may lead you to novel ideas for stories.

Work on your plot and prepare your story outline before you begin writing. Need help with these preliminary steps? Visit
How to Write a Story: Part I



How to Write a Story #2: Plan Your Settings Familiarize yourself with your story setting. Draw a detailed map of the
location, complete with buildings, roads, waterways and other relevant
features. Draw a plan for every important building, such as characters'
homes, offices or schools.

As you write, add in details as they appear in the story. This is
especially important if you're thinking of writing a series; you don't
want readers to spot inconsistencies from one book to the next.


If you're writing for young children, keep the setting simple;
limit the number of locations, for example home, school, playground,
friends' homes. Too much movement among places confuses young readers.


Older children, teens and adults, however, require more
diversified settings to add interest to the story. You can move your
characters from quiet villages to bustling cities, and across
continents. You can take them back to ancient times or forward to a
future world, or transport them to other worlds - there's no limit to
the settings you can dream up.






How to Write a Story #3: Flesh Out Your Characters


Give your characters names; as soon as they're named, these people will
come alive for you. Characters' names should suit their personalities
and roles in the story, and should not be too similar: for example, Bill
and Will, Sarah and Sally - otherwise, you may confuse your readers.

Create characters that are true-to-life - not too unbelievably good
or wicked. Give them virtues to warm the reader's heart, and faults so
that your audience can identify with them.


Let your imagination work on your characters as you go about the
normal course of your day. Visualize their physical appearance,
personalities, mannerisms, peculiarities, how they think and react to
situations, and the way they interact with one another, until each
character comes alive for you.


For more creative story ideas on developing characters, visit How to Create Captivating Characters.






How to Write a Story #4: Whose Viewpoint? Decide Who's Going to Tell the Story


From whose viewpoint are you telling your story? The viewpoint may be
that of the main character, two or more characters, or an omniscient
observer.



The main character: this is the viewpoint most favored by
writers and readers, and the one that works best for short stories and
stories for young children. The reader sees through the eyes of the main
character, identifying with him/her, and sharing his/her thoughts,
feelings and inner struggles.


The main character may tell the story as a first- person ("I") or
third-person ("he"/"she") narrative. Children generally prefer the
latter, as they tend to confuse the "I" in the story with themselves.
Teens and adults, however, often enjoy the intimacy of a first-person
narrative.


Two or more characters: different viewpoints can add
interest and depth to a story. One approach is to have the hero and
heroine, or the hero/heroine and villain, take turns to tell the story.
Another way is to have the spotlight fall momentarily on one or several
minor characters, letting them have their say in a few paragraphs (which
should be set apart from the rest of the text by one or two line
spaces).


Make the "voice" of each viewpoint character distinct. The
contrasting diction and points of view heighten the tension, and add
drama to the story.


The omniscient observer: here, the reader gets the story
from a detached narrator who knows the whole situation. Unlike the two
previous approaches, which are influenced by the biased perceptions and
emotions of the viewpoint characters, this viewpoint is objective and
comprehensive. However, because it is so detached and impersonal,
readers may not be able to identify with the characters and may lose
interest in the story.






How to Write a Story #5: Begin with a Bang


Start strong: surprise, excite, intrigue or otherwise grab your reader's
attention and make him or her want to continue with the story. Some
effective story openings...

Dialogue between characters: use this to arouse interest in the principal characters, introduce the problem or set the scene for the reader.


Plunge into the action: this makes for a fast-paced, exciting start that pulls readers into the story right away.


Introduce the main character: tell the reader about the
protagonist and his/her problem, or portray the protagonist in a
situation that reveals his/her personality or problem.


Readers starting on a book need to orientate themselves quickly
to the setting, time, cast of characters, and what is happening in the
story. Set the scene as concisely and unobtrusively as possible,
preferably as part of the action or dialogue.


Give only as much information as is necessary for the reader to
understand what is going on at each stage of the story. Never try to
give all the background information in one indigestible dose.






How to Write a Story #6: The Middle is Where the Plot Thickens


Good plot development is essential. A plot (with or without subplots)
consists of a problem or problems leading to a conflict, with the
suspense building up to a climax.

The middle is where you develop your characters, and have them grow
and learn from their ordeals and mistakes, so that at the end of the
story they become wiser, stronger or better in some way.


This is also where you display your main character's lovable
qualities or vulnerable side, that will help readers to identify with
him or her.






How to Write a Story #7: Leave the Reader Satisfied


End with a conclusion that satisfies readers. This doesn't necessarily
mean a cliched "happily-ever-after" ending (although a happy ending is
important in children's stories), but rather one that feels right -
that answers the underlying questions posed by the theme(s), resolves
the major issues and conflicts, ties up the loose ends, and satisfies
the reader's innate sense of justice.