Writing Craft

Happily Ever After

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon May 12, 2016

Some people wonder why genre readers want to read the same thing over and over. Well, they don’t read the same thing all the time, and they have expectations. A primary expectation?

A Happily Ever After ending.

If you enjoy perusing book reviews on Amazon, you’ll find that many readers (primarily outside of genres, though genre fiction can have the first three faults as well), express similar complaints:

The book was boring and they didn’t finish it.
The plot was too convoluted.
They didn’t like any of the characters.
They didn’t like the ending.

When you’re not writing genre fiction (romance, mystery, etc.) you aren’t confined to leaving your main characters happy. In fact, I recently read a book where one of the two main characters was fatally shot near the end of the story. I found this shocking since nothing, to my mind, led the reader to think the author planned to kill a protagonist. But on the other hand, the author hadn’t done much to make me like the protagonist, so I really didn’t care when he died, although I didn’t think he deserved to die. Mission accomplished?

In contrast, the genre reader wants the ending to be happy for everyone, with the possible exception of a clear villain. Even then, they may want to see the villain reform and experience his own happy ending.

In keeping with the expectation of a happy ending, the author needs to make the reader love the characters. On or near page one, the heroine especially needs to touch the reader’s feelings. The reader wants the hero and heroine to deserve their happy ending. Readers won’t root for a hateful, deceitful, conniving protagonist. And therein lies the connection between characterization and a happy ending.

What about plot? Yes, plot matters. The plot must live up to the confines of the genre, but be fresh. This is a tall order, but not impossible for the creative writer. Writers uncertain about genre rules should read as many books in the genre as needed until an “Aha!” moment strikes. Only then can the author understand the genre reader’s expectations about plot well enough to write a marketable book.

And of course, you’re never boring!

Your turn:

What is your favorite genre and why?

What is your favorite book in any genre?

A Good End

By Karen Ballon May 11, 2016

So, you’ve read the wondrous first lines of a book, been immersed in the journey through the rest of the pages, been enchanted and challenged, terrified and uplifted, educated and enlightened. And then it comes. The ending. The final words on the page to sum up all that you’ve read and experienced to this point. And these words, if chosen with wisdom and care, will echo through you, reminding you …

Category: Craft, Creativity, Writing CraftTag: Craft, Endings, Writing Craft

Variety Is the Spice of Characters

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon May 5, 2016

Recently I read a general market novel where I noticed that the characters sounded the same in a way. For example, for earning money, two disparate characters said, “made scratch.” The phrase jumped out at me the first time because it’s one I simply don’t use. So when a second character used the same expression, my mind wandered out of the story and into thinking about the expression. The book …

Category: Craft, Creativity, Writing CraftTag: Characters, Craft, Creativity, Writing Craft

First Lines For All!

By Karen Ballon May 4, 2016

Last week we considered some powerful first lines that we’ve read. And, as promised, here are the books they’re from: “This is my favorite book in all the world, though I have never read it.” The Princess Bride, William Goldman “It’s Nathan’s fault I became God.” The God Game, Andrew Greely “I once listened to an Indian on television say that God was in the wind and the water, and I wondered at …

Category: CraftTag: Craft, first lines, Writing Craft

The Beauty of First Lines

By Karen Ballon April 27, 2016

Has it happened to you? That moment when you open a book, let your eyes rest on the first page, and suddenly, you’re transported. Or shocked. Or laughing. Because the very first line has done exactly what the author hoped. It grabbed you, pulling you into the story as inexorably as a Pacific ocean riptide will carry you out to sea. And, depending on the kind of book, it can be equally terrifying. …

Category: Craft, Writing CraftTag: Craft, first lines, Writing Craft

A Day in an Editor’s Brain

By Karen Ballon April 20, 2016

How’s that for a terrifying blog title? Okay, so we won’t spend a whole day there. But as I pondered how to give you a glimpse into what freelance editors do, it occurred to me that the easiest, and best, method would be to just let you live in this editor’s brain for a short time. So buckle up, Buttercup–here we go… I’m sitting at my computer, ready to start a substantive, or line-by-line …

Category: Editing, Writing CraftTag: Editing, Editor

What an Editor Does: Peeling Back the Layers

By Karen Ballon April 13, 2016

Okay, as we launch into the next few weeks of looking at what editors do, here are a few basics to remember: 1. We are, for the purposes of this blog, talking about Freelance Editors. Not show who work at publishing houses. 2. Editors are, in essence, coaches. They won’t rewrite your book for you, but they will pinpoint areas you need to refine. Some will go back and forth with you, until they’re …

Category: Editing, Writing CraftTag: Editing, Editor

Be Careful with Your Facts

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon April 7, 2016

In light of my last post on taking care of details, I thought my readers would be interested in seeing some oddities and errors I found – in the past week! An Irish Soda bread recipe in a local circular called for: 3 cups flower Hmmm. Roses? Daffodils? Tulips? What color? Green, perhaps? And this on Amazon in describing a book: Praying in the Holy Spirit is one important bible study about the …

Category: Craft, Editing, Writing CraftTag: Editing, Writing Craft

Details, Details (Do They Matter?)

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon March 31, 2016

I was chatting with a reader the other day who told me about an advertisement she’d received about a new book. She said, “I read the sample, but then the author said that Black-eyed Susans bloomed in May, but they don’t bloom until August. I didn’t buy the book.” “Did you like the story otherwise?” I asked. “Yes.” “But you’re not …

Category: Craft, Editing, Writing CraftTag: Craft, Details, Research, Writing Craft

What An Editor Does–Phase 2

By Karen Ballon March 23, 2016

Next week, I promise, we’ll jump into the nuts and bolts of editing. But today I want to talk about what editors don’t do. Why do I bring these things up? Because I’ve encountered each and every one of them as a freelance editor. I’ve had clients say, “While you’re editing, can you do the copyedit?” or “Since you’re also an agent, would you be willing to pitch just this book to an editor?” Here …

Category: Editing, Writing CraftTag: Editing, Editor, Writing Craft