That Something More. The secret recipe for fantastic fiction.

Considerations for Fiction Writers – A Blog Series

What ingredients need to come together to create amazing fiction? Six different flavors and that something more.

I enjoy reading fiction from multiple genres and sometimes it alludes me as to why one book does it for me and another doesn’t. Why is it important? Because part of growing as writers is understanding our own minds, why some books knock our socks off and others don’t, so we can replicate it in our own fiction. A large part of whether a book is good or not has to do with a person’s tastes. If someone is really interested in ancient Egypt, they might find a fiction novel on the subject interesting. But I believe it’s a good idea to use myself as a radar of successful literature because if I like it, someone else probably does too.

I consider myself a smidge weird because, when I was a kid, I read Christopher Pike and R.L. Stine while my peers read The Babysitters Club, or novels about horses (1., 2., 3.). When I was teenager, I was insane for Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but my friends were into Sex in the City (4., 5.). As a young adult, I was obsessed with teen books with paranormal storylines and innocent romance, while my peers were into adult books. And lately, I’ve been reading danmei, which is Chinese gay romance(6.). And I’ve been through countless other reading phases, including my sci-fi, fantasy, paranormal, classics, queer drama, romance and horror phases. Even if my preferences are diverse and unusual for my demographic, I know I can find other readers with my tastes in fiction.

So I had to examine why one novel does it for me and another doesn’t. After years of reflection on this subject, I’ve come up with several spots I need pinged in order to feel a novel has met its potential. It’s like the taste zones on a person’s tongue. When every taste bud is satisfied, a dish is considered delicious. Fiction must have the right flavors in order to be successful.

The first reason why I give up on a novel is because the characters are dull, stereotypical or I dislike them. If the protagonist is well-written, I will care if they suffer and I’ll wonder what’s going to happens next. The biggest mistake authors make when it comes to character development is launching the reader into an intense action scene while denying readers the opportunity to get to know the protagonist. Why would I care if a stranger wins or loses an intense battle? In my opinion, the best novels have a slow start, so we’re able to see the main character in their normal environment and get to know them. I know there’s pressure to hook a reader on the first page, but in my experience, subtle conflicts are more successful at pulling a reader into a world. Don’t misunderstand me. I don’t approve of dilly-dallying. There absolutely must be an initial hook and every paragraph written has to serve a purpose in the overall story. But I suggest starting off with a relatable conflict and building up to the central conflict.

I’m aware critics insist Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight was badly written and there are specific criticisms of her work that I agree with (7.). But I completely disagree with the idea that Twilight is ‘bad writing’. Meyer made numerous clever choices and its why Twilight captured people’s imagination. The novel starts out with Bella moving in with her father and worrying about simple things like finding a vehicle and surviving a new school. Bella may not be a very distinctive character, but because we can identify with her everyday struggles, we care about the things happening to her. So the readers feel the tension when vampires enter her life. If the story started with a vampire battle, I promise you, it would not have reached its level of fame. Readers can be impatient, but starting off with a complicated action scene is, ironically, boring.

Another reason why I put a book down is because the world doesn’t feel real. Not only did Meyer succeed in making me care about Bella, she persuaded me that Bella’s world was our world. I’ve never read a book that had me so convinced that vampires could be living among us. And again, it’s because of the slow start. Meyer takes the time to describe the details of Bella’s regular life and it helps the readers imagine an authentic world. So when vampires enter the story, it feels like they could actually exist.

In contrast, in Rebecca Yarros’ book Fourth Wing, the story launches into suspenseful action and we don’t get to see the protagonist in her ordinary environment (8.). So intense action is occurring when the world doesn’t yet feel real and the reader doesn’t know the protagonist. I gather the protagonist is a brainy underdog and she is being forced to participate in a ruthless training program, but I struggle to feel for her. Especially if you’re writing books with fantasy elements, I recommend hooking readers in with the protagonist’s ordinary conflicts, then introducing the extraordinary.

Let’s say a novel has hooked me with its characters and I’m convinced by the world; now it needs interesting relationships. Novels that are solely romance, or solely drama bore me, but I also lose interest in fantasy or sci-fi if there’s zero relationship drama. I’m okay with relationship drama taking up a small portion of a novel, but it must be handled like it’s central. I enjoy any kind of relationship, including family bonds or friendships, but a relationship narrative is absolutely essential. The reason why I like danmei novels is because they combine exciting plots with complicated romances. If the protagonist loves another character, it makes the reader love them too. Relationships aid in making a reader care and the more we care, the further we’re pulled into the story.

To make relationships interesting, the characters must be distinct and there must be conflict between them or with an outside element. An example of unromantic, interesting relationship is in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings (9.). Merry and Pippin are close friends and they’re facing a formidable enemy together, but their characters are distinctive and they have conflict in their relationship. Pippin tends to get into trouble, and Merry is a follower and is often dragged into Pippin’s mischief. Merry must separate himself from Pippin to find his own courage and identity. The contrast between the two characters help highlight the uniqueness of each character. Also, it’s through relationship that we see a protagonist’s personal growth.

A good novel makes a reader feel. If a novel is intellectually stimulating, but lacks heart, it will quickly lose my interest. It’s annoying when the characters are too cool to have emotions. I love it when my characters are pushed to their limits, when they cry, or when they’re blinded by anger. I love it when I can feel the protagonist’s pain and confusion. If there’s no emotion, it’s like watching a protagonist from a distance. Emotion brings you into their body and into their experiences. But getting effective emotion into a novel isn’t the easiest because you can’t tell readers what to feel. You have to create emotion by successfully dragging readers through hell with the protagonist.

You might have gathered that I need something magical, fantastical, supernatural or futuristic in my stories. To me, the point of fiction is to escape our world and have fun exploring ideas one step away from real life. But that doesn’t mean I want my fictional worlds to feel fake. They must feel real.

If a novel has the right balance of character development, world building, relationship drama, convincing emotion and intriguing fantasy, it will probably be awesome. But what is the difference between the novels that I enjoy and the novels that knock my socks off? To tell the truth, I’m still not entirely sure, but it could be an intellectual spot that needs to be pinged. I believe when a reader’s mind is opened up to new ideas or perspectives, a story sticks with them. It helps if the world and fantasy details are unique. I’m thinking of intriguing universes like in The Promised Neverland, a manga series by Kaiu Shirai, or the Netflix show Stranger Things (10.,11.). Somehow the reader has to be led through a mystery, but still be surprised by the results. Also, a good novel is often about ideas bigger than the book.

But still, it’s almost like magic how some novels can bewitch a reader and others are just good. What truly is that something more?

Here are the spots that must be pinged in order to knock my socks off:

·      Early Character development/Character growth

·      Convincing World

·      Interesting Relationships/Drama

·      Compelling Emotion

·      Unique Fantasy

·      Intellectual stimulation/Mystery                                                             

·      That Something More