Most writers agree that conflict is what makes good writing interesting to readers.  Sure, there are lots of other elements to consider when keeping the reader turning the page, but conflict goes a long way to meeting that need.  Why is that?  Simple. Conflict causes tension and tension begs to be resolved.  The reader cannot stand not to reach a point where the resolution occurs. 

How is conflict created?  The ancient good guy/bad guy battle is a great example, only in modern day novels it is often more subtle.  It’s the cheating wife and the decent husband.  It’s the bigoted churchman and the humanitarian agnostic.  Some of these choices will make your readers turn away because they don’t like to see their character types portrayed badly.  For example, many women will ask why didn’t you pick the man to be the cheating husband and may very well decide they don’t like your story.  You could play it safe and have the mean/incompetent supervisor versus the dedicated employee…everyone eventually has been there and can relate.  Or perhaps you like the “man against the elements” conflict model.  But is playing it safe what writing is all about?  I don’t think so.  I’d rather write two lines that are genuine than twelve volumes of politically correct mush.

The bottom line is to keep the various obstacles in the way of your main character.  Give him roadblocks to overturn.  They may be people or processes or mother nature, but keep them coming and then resolve them.

I recently met New York Times Bestselling Author C.J. Box, and one of the things he told me is something I have felt and struggled with for a long time.  His comment was that you have to really work on that first line of your book.  Make it have punch and really grab the reader.  It has to hook the reader in so they don’t find something more interesting or entertaining to occupy their time.  He gave me a few examples, and while I whole-heartedly agree with him, I can see where the difficulty in doing them in your book can be a struggle.  I also give my readers more credit than he does and think that your hook can certainly be several sentences into the book, but it still has to be there.  And more than anything, your first chapter is extremely critical in developing the interest level in your reader and creating a hook to turn the page to the next chapter.

So here is your assignment, grab any dozen books and read the first line or two.  Then grab one of C.J. Box’s books and read his first lines.  Tell me the difference it makes to you as a reader and see what I mean.  Maybe all the books you choose use this technique well, but I bet you’ll see a difference.

One of the things that makes fiction writing readable is good dialogue, yet many beginning writers make the fatal mistake of not taking the time to work on developing this vital part of good fiction.

I guess it’s because we’ve spent so many years doing term papers and essays that we get ingrained with the idea that we aren’t to have any voice in our narrative but our own.  Obviously, in schoolwork that makes a lot of sense.  Still, even in schoolwork you will wind up quoting what someone else says not only for variety and emphasis, but because you don’t want to be accused of plagiarism.  Dialogue in fiction makes even more sense to use.

Think of it this way.  Which would you prefer, to watch the chess men move on the board in a game, or sit there and hear the players tell you what they would do for an entire game without ever moving even the first pawn?  Can you imagine actors in a play coming on the stage and telling you what they are going to do without acting it out?  Sure, your complex narrative is needed to move the story along, but most essentially it sets the place and the imagery needed for the story and some of the movement.  The rest of the story needs to be peeled away in layers by the dialogue to let the reader discover the elements that move your tale along for themselves. 

The other essence of dialogue that writers need to pay particular attention to is making it real.  The most often seen mistakes are dialogue that is stilted or even overly formal and complete.  People rarely talk that way.  Sentences are partial and often interrupted even by the speakers themselves.  I’ve found it most useful to actually say aloud what my characters will say on the page and let my ear tell me “is this real, is this how someone talks.”  You’ll be surprised how well it works.  Just be careful you don’t overdo with accents, jargon, and dialect touches.  Some can be useful, but when overdone it can bog the reader down and make your writing difficult to understand.  Remember, you are introducing them to a new world that they might not be familiar with, so terms or phrases you use may need to be made clearer than you think.

Don’t show the story, let your characters tell it!

Are you contemplating writing a long fiction work?  Novellas and novels require planning just the same as shorter works, even more so actually, but carrying out that plan can be a real challenge.  You can easily get lost in your work over time and lose track of what you are doing.  One of the best things a writer can do is to take the time to actually plan out a plot that works so you have a road map for your fiction.  Some writers are capable of excellent major works without a major preplan where the novel is driven just by their characters in the story.   Tony Hillerman spoke of doing that, but I think it is a hard way to write.  Once you have a skeleton plot plan you are on your way, but remember to keep the all the details of what I like to call “workmanship” in order. 

What constitutes good workmanship in fiction?  I think first and foremost is that you put together a first chapter that literally forces the reader to want to turn to chapter two (and you ought to think about hooks throughout every chapter to continue that process.)  Make sure the facts of the story remain correct and consistent throughout.  Doing a longer work takes time, and believe it or not, you will forget what you wrote previously in chapter three when you are all the way in chapter thirty-three.  Keep track of things like that!  Even though you’ve made a plot skeleton, keep thinking about whether there are ways that you could make it even more powerful as you get into writing the details (that plot isn’t set in concrete and will likely go through some revisions in the process…don’t be afraid to make the changes that make things better!)  As you write you may also notice that what you envisioned in the plot outline really doesn’t seem plausible and needs to be changed.  Are you writing just to fill the page?  Get rid of the stuff that doesn’t advance the plot or help in strengthening character.  In contrast, add more of both of those if you need to.  Have you connected all the dots when the story is done with a conclusion that works and will be accepted by the reader as completing the story, or did you write yourself into a corner and opt for an easy ending?  Readers hate that, so do the hard work and revision required to create an ending that is fair and believable.  And lastly, keep an eye on your grammar and style.  Nothing ruins a book more quickly than a failure to know how to put the words down properly.

Happy writing folks!

Let’s say you are new to this writing game.  When you get the urge to write, what do you write about?  You want to do a terrific job on a story and be really creative.  Do you write science fiction about blue polka dot people on Rigillios Three?  Do you spend untold hours in frustration trying to engineer a completely fanciful world?  Do you engage the services of a dozen professionals who work in the arena that you have decided to throw your hat into like established writers (with money) always do.  Maybe you do.  Maybe if you are really lucky you have friends,willing to regale you with stories, at no charge, who have been in the environment you want to write about (although if it is Rigillios Three, I suspect you might want to look for other advice if not other friends!)

There is an old writer’s adage that is especially important for new writers to learn:  “Write what you know.”  It makes so much sense, and yet new writers so often resist this wisdom and instead launch out into projects that seem intriguing but are extremely difficult to accomplish for even the most seasoned authors.  There is still a need for a taxing amount of imagination in writing a compelling story in a setting you are familiar with, let alone one that is totally foreign.  You’ll have your hands full, but at least you’re on familiar territory.

If you pass out Big Macs, there is a story there.  If you mow lawns on weekends, there is a story there.  If you sell dresses at JC Penney’s you have lots of options for a good story line.  Consider that mass murderers have shot up more than one fast food place, shoplifters with serious mental issues inhabit department stores, and it’s amazing the people and actions you can see going on in the neighborhood as you are raking and mowing lawns.  Now you have an environment you can really envision.  If you have problems and get stuck with your imagination, you can actually just go sit with your laptop and people-watch the patrons at the Golden Arches, or peek into a few front yards in your block for actions and ideas.  Imagery details flow much easier and often ideas for action are played out right before your eyes.  A little fictional twist here and there and suddenly you have a story. 

What story lines have you imagined in your own little sphere of the world?  What are favorite stories you've read that have obviously used this technique?  Think about the great literary authors who have done this—Kate Chopin, Edith Wharton, Ernest Hemingway.  Obviously this concept works!  The world is full of stories--don’t think that the ordinary people and places of your life are off limits.  Go write about them. 

Now, don’t despair…you can still write about Rigillios Three if you really want to…but how about transporting those wacky McDonald’s regulars there?

How do you decide on what point of view to write in?  Do you wish the intimacy of a first person narrative or the objectivity of a third person voice that is neutral and all knowing?  With newer writers it is often easier to write in the first person, but it does, at the very least, hamper the ability for a main character description.  First person descriptions of the main character can especially seem forced and egotistical if not handled well.  Sometimes there's hardly any practical way for some self-descriptions to come out of the mouth of that character that doesn't make it sound out of place.  On the plus side, first person narration gives you a unique opportunity to carry on inner dialogues in the mind of that character that can be quite entertaining and not easily carried out by an omniscient narrator.  How have you handled these kinds of choices in your writing?  What kinds of problems have you encountered and how did you solve them? .