4 Things That Will Scare Readers Away
There will always be pitfalls to avoid when it comes to writing. With every correct way to do something, there's an incorrect way--a mistake that will cost you your readers. And, of course, as a writer it's important to know of all these mistakes and make sure they stay out of your novel. A good way to do this would be to get someone else's opinion. But most people, although they'll be able to tell you whether or not they like your writing, they won't be able to say exactly why.
So it's a good thing that we have professional authors out there, sharing their knowledge on how and how not to write a successful book. It's also good that professional bloggers interview these authors and pass on the knowledge to aspiring writers like you and me.
With that said, I'll stop delaying and share a little of the advice I've read.
Here are 4 big things you need to avoid in your novel!
1. TOO MUCH DESCRIPTION
Why would your readers want a detailed description of the bad guy's outfit and hairstyle while he's in the middle of an intense battle with the main character?
Sure, descriptive prose can be just as important to your story as good plot and characters. You'll need to describe the story's setting, for example, and give the readers a general idea of what the main characters look like. It can also be good to paint a picture of the sunset, or of a landscape, in your readers' minds. But most of the time, professionals say it's better to leave things to their imagination. Even during the faster-paced scenes, it's better to mix little descriptions into the actions or thoughts of characters. The people reading your book aren't stupid, after all. If you mention that the main character is fighting in a "lonely grassland", they'll be able to picture the long, dry grass and lack of trees or animal activity (this is a good example of how important it can be to choose your adjectives carefully).
To bring everything to a point, there are two things to remember when it comes to description in your novel: one--only describe a place, or character, that will be important to the plot later on. Things can be mentioned, of course, but only put detail into whatever will help your audience understand certain things. And two--even then, make sure to keep descriptions fairly short. An entire paragraph dedicated to how a side character appears, or a full page to the sights, sounds and smells of a town.....about the worst things you could do. You'll bore your readers to death.
2. UNLIKEABLE MAIN CHARACTERS
Have you ever stopped reading a book--or even watching a TV show--with good plot just because you didn't like the main character? Maybe it's that he/she's too overpowered and perfect, or maybe too proud and selfish. It could be anything, really, depending on the reader. That doesn't mean that anything and everything could affect the likeability of a character, however. I've already gone over a lot about characters in the blog post 'How to Start a Novel pt. 2', so I won't go over this in too much detail. But according to professionals, your novel's main character doesn't have to be perfect, or even a good guy. All you have to do is get the readers to connect with him or her, and hope that they to achieve their goals. Once you've done that, the readers will follow your character through thick and thin. To make sure it happens, here are some things to avoid when introducing the main character(s):
-The Mary Sue. A 'Mary Sue' is a character that's so perfect it's sickening. This character has no flaws, no problems, and absolutely no connection with the human beings reading your novel. I'll talk more about this in an upcoming blog post about common writing mistakes, or cliches.
-No Goals. A main character without goals is just drifting in the story's plot, letting things happen to them. Good characters make their own choices, sometimes bad ones, and affect the plot in a big way when they do. Most importantly, there should be an underlying motivation behind everything they do.
-Bad Personality. If your readers wouldn't want to hang out with the main character in real life, why would they want to get to know him/her throughout the novel? Going back to the Mary Sue problem, characters should definitely have their flaws and slip-ups from time to time. But you don't have to stretch that so much that your protagonist comes off as having a rotten personality. If your character must seem antagonistic as times, give them a soft side.
3. TOO MUCH INFORMATION/BACKSTORY
I decided I'd like to discuss this a bit more in that article about cliches, coming soon. So for now, I'll simply describe the problem.
A lot of first-time writers, new to creating characters and plotlines, will be excited to introduce everything they've worked so hard on to the readers right away. So, in a prologue or in the first chapter, your readers will be told about the tragic past of the main character. Something that happened that changed them forever. Maybe their partner died in a co-op mission years ago, or maybe they were forced to break up with a boyfriend because of nasty rumours. In any case, once the explanation is over, you'll probably cut to the present, as the main character stares out a window wishing whatever happened never did.
This is possibly one of the worst ways to begin your novel--a big red flag to both readers and literary agents.
And in that upcoming article, I'll tell you why.
Sorry for the suspense.
4. POINTLESS SIDE CHARACTERS
And, last but not least, a personal favourite of mine. Every superhero needs a side kick, just like every main character needs a best friend, colleague or companion. Like I've discussed before, any character introduced that isn't the main focus of the story is called a 'side character'. The side character is never as important as the protagonist, but that doesn't mean you have to make them completely useless. I've read many, many times that if a person, place or thing is introduced to the reader, it needs to be important in some way to the story. But if the main character, a simple schoolgirl, has a childhood friend, does this rule still apply?
According to professionals, it does. Absolutely. If you gave a pointless side character lines in your book through dialogue and descriptions, it'd be a serious waste of space. You may say that the main character's interaction with this side character is a way to show both of their personalities. And while this could be true, there are many other, better ways of doing that without slowing the story down. Readers, believe it or not, will notice if you're only stalling for time. I know that I, as a bookaholic, like to see that a writer has carefully woven character development with plot, so that not a single paragraph I'm reading seems like a waste.
In case you're wondering how to tell if a side character is useless to the story, ask yourself a few things:
"If this character were to be removed from the story, would anything change? Would it be a noticeable change?"
"Does this character help the main character make a choice in some way?"
"Does this character help in the unveiling of a backstory or plot twist?"
And that about wraps this up! Make sure to remember all this advice--and more to come--while writing your novel.
Knowing what to avoid doesn't always ensure that your writing turns out well. It still depends on you and your writing. But knowing what to avoid can help you know what to do, and knowing what to do will help you do things right.
So I hope this helps you. Thanks for reading, and have a wonderful Spring Break!
~Kawiria
