The Wishing Pages

So, you’re working on a book, or maybe you’ve finished it. But you know something just isn’t right, or the first readers didn’t like it. What could be the problem?

1. Story not plot

The issue could be that you have written a story and not a plot.

A story is a string of events occurring one after the other. It’s basically: this and then that and then that etc.

Plot is a series of events/occurrences that are interlinked in a cause-and-effect manner. A happened because of X, which resulted in Y.

Oftentimes, the idea for a new WIP comes to us as snippets of happenings that are random. However, that does not a book make.

A book needs plot. Your events need to follow some pattern or logical consequence of cause and effect. One plot point must give rise to another in a structure that makes sense and ensures maximum interest.

There’s a reason there are so many pre-determined plot structures out there.

If your book is just story and not plot, try to outline the events in a more organised way. Maybe you can consult guides like the 3-Act arc or Save the Cat if you need help.

2. Pacing

Maybe you have a structured plot, where each occurrence is logically and entertainingly linked to the rest, but you don’t pace out those events correctly.

Apart from good structure, the most important aspect of plot is pacing. 

There is an art to writing good stories, and a lot of that involves good timing. You should not litter big event after big event with no space to breathe. You also shouldn’t write 500 pages of nothing.

It’s a difficult balance, but plotting aids could once again help.

I also have a post on conquering pacing, if you want to check that out.

3. Weak characters

This is a fatal mistake.

If you have flat, one-dimensional characters that do not interest your readers, no amount of plotting will save the book.

I know this comes across as harsh, but it really is true. Character is key.

So, if you have no problems with your plot per se, but something still isn’t working, you might want to review your characters.

Are they three-dimensional enough? Do they have strong, identifiable motivations? Do they have interesting combinations of traits and interests? Are they diverse?

You can check out my post on designing a simple character arc if you feel really stuck.

I would also recommend creating character sheets in which you flesh out each character. Personality tests such as MBTI and Enneagram are also great ways to create complicated characters.

4. Too many overused tropes

Everything has been done before. I’m sorry to break it to you. However, not all variations/combinations of things have been done.

It’s okay for your book to feature a cliche or a popular trope. What might be damaging is using a bunch of overused ideas in one book.

There are some elements, like the “wise old wizard” or “the chosen one” or “the answer was inside you all along” that have become distinctly predictable. This is because most people have seen them a thousand times.

This means that your readers won’t be interested in reading further, since they’ll feel like they already know how things will play out. It’s old and boring. The market for these types of stories is also saturated.

So, make sure that you combine elements of storytelling in a somewhat unique and surprising way. No, you don’t have to set out to write something absolutely revolutionary. There should just be some originality - even if it’s just in your writing style.

5. Messy prose

Sometimes the premise, plot and characters of a book are amazing. But you just can’t enjoy reading it. Why? Because the writing is terrible.

Writing inundated with spelling errors, run-on sentences, boring word-choice etc. is very difficult to find entertaining.

Do not allow your good story to be discarded because of messy prose and grammatical errors.

Grammar, spelling and syntax exist for a reason. They facilitate ease of reading.

So, before you put writing out there, use ProWriting Aid or Grammarly, at the very least. If you’re putting it out in a professional capacity, hire a qualified editor.

You don’t want to be labelled a bad writer because of something that is easy to fix.

There are probably many more reasons something could feel off, but these are some of the main ones. Keep in mind that these problems can be fixed. 

Alrighty, listen up. It’s a well-established fact that my favorite kind of scene to write are actions scenes, but a very, very close second is angst scenes. I’ve noticed during my time writing these that there’s one thing I do that always packs a punch. 

You take one of the heaviest lines – the line where the character finally dies, the line where an illness is diagnosed, a trauma revealed – and make it its own paragraph. Just that one line, by itself. 

Why? 

Because it’s the literary equivalent of the sinking stone in your stomach when you receive bad news. The pause, or ‘beat’ as they’re sometimes called, adds gravity to the situation. 

Consider the following:

The beeps of his heart monitor grew further apart. Tears spilled down his cheeks, his eyelids fluttered, like he couldn't keep them open. I laced my fingers in his. He gave them a single squeeze, a promise to see me on the other side, then his hand went limp in my grasp. 

VS

The beeps of his heart monitor grew further apart. Tears spilled down his cheeks, his eyelids fluttered, like he couldn’t keep them open. I laced my fingers in his. He gave them a single squeeze, a promise to see me on the other side.

His hand went limp in my grasp.

Do you see the difference? In the second paragraph, everything is the same except for the one line. One-liners is a phrase mostly used for comedy, but as they say, the only difference between comedy and tragedy is the music. With this technique, I drag the music out. I make you sit in the scene that much longer, experience the pain that much longer.

Obviously, I wrote the examples off the top of my head, but as a part of a greater scene or novel, with backstory, development, etc, the lines would hit even harder.

a) pick a name, any name

b) let’s go with Kevin

c) fuck up a letter, preferably a vowel

- kevan

- kyvin

- kovon

- kevell

- kivoth

d) congratz u have a name

e) he might be called Tim but that might be short for something

- Timmos

- Timotheus

- Timiron (yeah just add “Ron” when in doubt)

- Tiroth

- Timarimos

Congratulations your Tim both has a cute nickname and a full name that sounds vaguely badass, or if not badass long-winded and unnecessary enough to be a Fantasy Name™.

THE ARCHMAGE’S CAPE!!! HER FREAKING GORGEOUS DRESS! ALL THE DELICATE DETAILS!! THE FACT THAT THEYRE BOTH HOLDING BOOKS LIKE UNF YES, SYMBOLIC AND 100% IN CHARACTER! CARYS’ LOOK OF TOTAL WONDER AND HIS SHY APPRECIATION OF HER IM WEEEAAAK