Writing a fiction book takes much creativity and work. Maybe you came up with what seems a great idea. But now... the first idea seems dull. But you keep on working with what's coming next. Suddenly, you realize that the protagonist lacks personality, history, and future; your plot is boring; and your book is... a mess!!!
Well... want some help? I do. I started thinking about several books and I noticed that each protagonist experiences three things throughout the book.
At first he/she has a goal. Some want something-- such as Mary in the Secret Garden; she wants to find the key to the garden and everything she does focuses on that....till she finds her cousin. Now her goal would be to help him recover from his illness. In the Chronicles of Narnia, the four children find Narnia and when Edmund goes with the White Witch, their goal is to find/rescue Edmund. But when they meet Aslan and all the other creatures, they have a secondary goal: saving Narnia. So... we see then that each protagonist has a goal.
Second, each book has a plot. The plot is like an obstacle in the journey of the protagonist. Some obstacles are caused by an antagonist (the White Witch in Narnia) and others are caused by |circumstances, like moving away or even the passing of a devastating tornado.
Last but not least, many books teach a lesson, such as honesty, loyalty, forgiveness, and the list goes on. This is probably the most important thing in a book. It's what your readers may want to imitate from your protagonist... or other characters in your story. Analyze fiction books you've read and search for these things.
If your book has these three things, I say you are on your way to writing a good book!
Well... want some help? I do. I started thinking about several books and I noticed that each protagonist experiences three things throughout the book.
At first he/she has a goal. Some want something-- such as Mary in the Secret Garden; she wants to find the key to the garden and everything she does focuses on that....till she finds her cousin. Now her goal would be to help him recover from his illness. In the Chronicles of Narnia, the four children find Narnia and when Edmund goes with the White Witch, their goal is to find/rescue Edmund. But when they meet Aslan and all the other creatures, they have a secondary goal: saving Narnia. So... we see then that each protagonist has a goal.
Second, each book has a plot. The plot is like an obstacle in the journey of the protagonist. Some obstacles are caused by an antagonist (the White Witch in Narnia) and others are caused by |circumstances, like moving away or even the passing of a devastating tornado.
Last but not least, many books teach a lesson, such as honesty, loyalty, forgiveness, and the list goes on. This is probably the most important thing in a book. It's what your readers may want to imitate from your protagonist... or other characters in your story. Analyze fiction books you've read and search for these things.
If your book has these three things, I say you are on your way to writing a good book!
By Natalia.
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