Tag: Writing Tips

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Anatomy of a Book – What Goes Inside?

If you haven’t discovered Writer’s Bane: Formatting 101, you’ve been missing out on a lot of answers to questions. This includes what goes inside your book, how to prepare a manuscript for a typeset, and how to design the interior of your book. Let me share a sampling of one common question I get in workshops and email: 

What else do I put inside my book?

Front Matter

Before a reader gets to the first chapter there are several key pages that need to be there first. This also can impact how professional looking your book is seen to book store chains and should be overlooked. For example, everyone should be doing a half title and full title page, followed by a proper copyright page. These three pages can add a space to sign and a feeling of legitimacy to your book. Inside Formatting 101 I dive into great detail and give several examples of what these pages look like, their purpose, and an author’s reason for using one or how to use them to your advantage. In short, here’s a list of pages (in a recommended hierarchy) that can be added as roman numeral pages before chapter 1, page 1 unfolds:

  1. Half Title page – this general just has the title, subtitle, and often matches the title font from the front cover.
  2. Full Title page – this should have title, subtitle, series, author, and publisher logo.
  3. Copyright page – Title, Author, Copyright date, publisher information, design and editorial credits, legal jargon, Library of Congress Control Number (LCCN), and International Standard Book Number (ISBN) for all formats. Take a look at many books for examples.
  4. Dedication – Short and sweet. Often centered on a page or in children’s books seen above copyrights on the same page!
  5. Endorsement – Sometimes I see this before the half title page or even before the dedication. I recommend it here since it comes off cleaner and less jarring for readers.
  6. Table of Contents – You want to place this here as a dividing line between actual reader content and the formalities and legal aspects of what is listed above it.
  7. Foreword – Any words that need to come before read this book. Whether you are preparing the reader or having someone comment on the book. It’s often encouraged to email and ask for a foreword about the author or book from other authors or professionals that write or enjoy what your book is about. Even celebrities do this!
  8. Words from the Author – A more author centric foreword.
  9. About the Author – This is here for nonfiction books. Often readers want to know who the expert on the topic is before reading further on a topic. 
  10. Acknowledgements – These can go here or in the back matter.
  11. Preface – More common in nonfiction. This is often a statement of some kind on the topic to encourage readers or share something about the book. Often this can reference the fact of acknowledging a school of thought or piece of history that was not included and the reasoning behind it or where to discover more on the topics within.
  12. Prologue – More common in fiction. This is an event that the readers should experience that influences the story or shares vital information. Whether its past events that created magic to a girl witnessing something through a keyhole that will impact the plot. It should have a direct connection to the character or plot in some way.
  13. Introduction or Overview – Seen in nonfiction, this is gearing up what the book is about or what they should be learning as they travel through the content. Sometimes this may even have instructions of some kind on how to use the book.

Content

This should always start as chapter 1 or section 1 on a right page with PAGE 1. It seems strange, but many programs including InDesign force typesetters to follow this rule. In short, this is not up for discussion as far as the publishing and design industries are concerned. Be mindful of what pages fall between your front matter and back matter. This includes:

  1. Section page – Traditionally on the right or odd page. 
  2. Chapter page – First one starts traditionally on the right or odd page. All consecutive chapter pages can fall on either side or only on the right page depending on the amount of content or designers preference. More and more books will land these on right and left pages to save on page count and lower print costs.
  3. Body page – These are the pages that hold the rest of the story. They often have the page numbers on the bottom center or outer margins, content justified and uniform across the page, and headers and/or footers. These often will have the title, subtitle, author, chapter, or subchapter information depending on type of book and designer’s preference.

Back Matter

This is very much like the front matter, but items you would prefer them to read and explore after your story. If you are working on nonfiction, this is often where to find more resources, referenced materials, and even tools for applying what the reader has learned or even fill in gaps that may be needed. For example, in Formatting 101 I’ve added a large glossary in hopes of catching any moment where a term is used that may be industry or design specific to make the content more widely understood to even those exploring book formatting and publishing for the first time.

  1. Epilogue – This is seen in fiction work where we get to see what transpired after the events. It can often feature showing the characters happy ending in greater detail, the rise of something more happening in the series, or even showing events from another POV for this one chapter only to reveal something more about the story. Again, it should impact the reader via their connection to the character or plot.
  2. About the Author – Unlike nonfiction, it is more traditional to see this placed here in fiction work. Be sure to include your social media!
  3. Acknowledgements – If you have one that is more than 1-2 pages long, you may want to place this here in the back of the book.
  4. Book Listing – Recommending other books you or similar authors in your network can be helpful.
  5. Preview or Sneak Peek – It’s not uncommon in romance novels to see the first chapter or snapshot of what the next book will be about. This can be handy for any genre to showcase that this is part of a series.
  6. Bibliography or References – Often seen in nonfiction as a means to cite sources.
  7. Endnotes – Many folks still use endnotes, but I do encourage you to consider footnotes since this works favorably for eBook readers as well as the only kind accepted by KDP/Amazon and other vendors.
  8. Index – Again, indexes are being replaced with the ability to have searchable ebooks and PDFs or digital copies of books. They are still very much curated content and take lots of time to prepare, but a personal preference in today’s world.
  9. Appendix – Content or worksheets. Materials you either referenced or provided, including excerpts of public domain material, is often seen in nonfiction. Fiction usually saves this for fun extras, coloring pages, and even the occasional recipe.
  10. Book Club Questions – Librarians love them and book clubs live for them. Don’t underestimate the power of providing these. There shouldn’t be a clear answer. I always tell fellow author’s pretend this is a chance to start your very own fight club!

Discover More

Like the advice and information you see here? Check out the Formatting 101 textbook here. This tome holds a variety of answers for those seeking to become typesetters, looking to self-publish their book, or simply want to learn how to communicate and prepare their manuscripts to get the most out of their designers. The Writer’s Bane is a curse and passion, both a want and need to tell a story. In this volume, you will learn the importance for prepping a book for layout as well as laying it out in a way that appeals to your readers of any genre including picture books, chapter books, fiction, memoirs, textbooks, workbooks, and everything in-between.

Writer’s Bane: Formatting 101
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From the Author’s Desk: Worldbuilding 101

Part One: What is worldbuilding?

Okay, let’s get into it with some generalizations. 

Worldbuilding is what creative writers do when they form the framework that contains their story. It includes everything from the layout of the furniture in someone’s bedroom and the geography of the city they live in, to the languages spoken by their fellow inhabitants and the technological capabilities of the society that surrounds them. It’s the details that bring a story to life–the thing that separates a decent tale from a life-changing epic adventure that every single one of the reader’s friends must read immediately. It gives a story depth and richness and the sense that there is more beyond the page, that readers could find a pulsing, vibrant existence beyond the edges of the pages they are reading. 

J.R.R. Tolkien explains the “magic” of reading in his essay “On Fairy Stories” when he likens what happens to readers who imagine a story to an act of enchantment. The author has written the words, but the readers are ones who transform those markings on a page into scenes in their imaginations. He calls this enchantment an act of subcreation; that is, the readers are “creating” the story for themselves based on the words of the author. This can only happen, he insists, when the world of the story they are reading is believable; in fact, the Secondary World (the world inside the story) must be as believable as the Primary World in which the readers live. A common way to describe what happens when readers engage in this act is the “willing suspension of disbelief.” The idea is that reader willingly suspend their natural disbelief when they enter a story–they know billionaires don’t act like that, or that swords aren’t sentient, or that cars can’t fly, or that word can’t alter the physical world–but for the sake of the story, they “suspend” that “disbelief” long enough to enjoy the story in that world. Tolkien doesn’t like this approach, insisting that if the world is done properly, if the nearly elvish craft of enchantment has been done well, the readers won’t have to suspend their disbelief–they will believe. Fr the time they spend immersed in the pages of that story, they will fall into that world naturally and completely. 

How does one accomplish that? According to Tolkien, by having a completely built world in the background of your story. You should know every detail, every crevice, every whisper. That said, Tolkien had reams of journals and maps and lineages and histories for Middle Earth. Do you have to do all that? Of course not. But it should look like you have. After all, unless they read your worldbuilding guide, readers don’t see your entire world anyway–they just see the parts that connect to the story you are telling–but they should believe that the rest of the world is there, the ice beneath the tip of the iceberg hidden beneath the water. If you are confident and consistent in your details, that iceberg will feel massive to readers.  

So, how can you provide this magical transformative experience for your readers? Do your homework. Build your world before you step into it (or before you finish stepping out of it on that last page!) so readers feel the world lives beyond the moments they see in the story.

Looking for some help along the way? Check out The General Guide to Worldbuilding and get serious about your world!

The General Worldbuilding Guide (The World Building Guide Book 1)
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Writing is HARD! – You Are Not Alone

If I had a dollar for every person who approached me and said “I want to write a book” or “I’m writing a book” and then years later nothing came from it, I would have a nice new car.

You might think I am exaggerating but the truth is that very few people who want to write a book actually end up doing so. 

There are several reasons for this, but one I want to touch on today is that writing can appear to be a VERY lonely activity. It is true for the most part that most writers, including myself, do best in certain circumstances to write. I work best from my desktop PC, in my office with Viking music playing. 

Writing is also one of the easiest things in your life to set aside as it is a hobby for most and not something like a puzzle that is staring you in the face or a gym membership that is charging you every month so you are reminded that it is waiting for you.

There is a widely held belief that it takes six weeks to form a habit. What you need to do if you want to write a book is form a habit. With that said, there is a universal formula as a writer to actually get the book done. Want to know what it is?

YOU NEED TO WRITE!

I know that may seem silly but the truth is that the only way you will complete a book or story is to put the words on the page. This means you have to schedule some time to write and stick to this schedule. This alone can be a monumental task. I understand as I wrestle with this all the time.

This is why we created the Author’s Accountability Guide. It is a guidebook to help you create your goals, your schedule and actually track your progress.

It has helpful Muse’s to assist on your journey and we also created a Facebook group so you can connect with other authors and join a community of people just like you who are writers and simply need to get their stories completed and out into the world!

To start you on your journey use the coupon code: 4HP10 and order the book from us directly here:

The Author’s Accountability Planner 2024: A Day-to-Day Guide for Writers

Join our Facebook group and find others just like you!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2763678010528954

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From the Editor’s Desk: How to Format Dialogue so It Doesn’t Annoy Readers

I know that you know this already, but something weird happens to authors when they write their own stories—they suddenly stop following any kind of formatting rules around conversations and just start throwing words and punctuation around like darts in a whirlwind. Writers, you know what dialogue in a novel should look like—I know you do. You’re readers. You’ve all seen this format hundreds of times. But I also know that there is a strange disconnect between seeing how something looks on the page when someone else—a famous author perhaps—does it and applying those same expectations to your own work. 

First, let’s talk about why this happens and then get into some guidelines to keep in mind when you are writing dialogue. Sometimes, this disregard for the rules happens for the simplest reason: writers assume someone else will clean up their messy words and formatting. “My editor will fix it for me.” After all, the author is the cook—she need not clean the kitchen as well. Maybe so. But cleaning up after your own words will remind you of the rules—how things ought to look—and you will be a stronger writer as a result. Yes, your editor can clean it up for you, but that person will do so at the expense of everything else, spending valuable time adding commas and lowercasing words instead of getting into the real work of editing. You are essentially paying someone a lot of money to do a menial task when that money could be paying for expert attention on other matters that would make your story better—not just bring it up to code. 

Another reason formatting may get wonky is because writers promise they will go back and fix it later—and then don’t actually go back and fix it. I know how it is. We writers may be a forgetful lot. We focus on other things, get sidetracked by other stories, fascinating characters yearning to break free, and we move on to the next one, never actually going back in and checking the capitalization in chapter two. Now, I know you love re-reading your stories. You wouldn’t have written it if you didn’t enjoy reading it (unless you’re writing to market or ghostwriting or something like that, but this blog isn’t for you, specifically). Read it again—except this time pay attention to your dialogue and tweak any remaining issues. 

This brings us to another reason for messy dialogue format: you’re just not sure. And that’s okay! Just ask. Or review the guidelines listed below. 

How to properly format dialogue in novel writing

  • Every time a new person speaks, indent on a new line: 

“What are you doing?” Samantha asked. 

“Rearranging matches,” Sebastian said, boredom seeping through his voice.  

“Why?” Samantha inquired. 

“I have no idea,” Sebastian admitted. 

  •  When a character speaks both before and after an interjection, the punctuation should follow like this:

“You never have any idea,” Samantha sneered. “That’s why I’m leaving you.” 

“You can’t leave me,” Sebastian replied, “because if you do, who will organize your things?” 

  • If there is more text beyond the conversation, it can stay in the same paragraph:

Samantha glared at him. “I don’t need anyone to organize my things,” she snapped. “I was just fine in my organizational skills before you came along. I don’t need someone to look after me like a child.” She scanned the library, haughty eyes taking in other annoying details of his obsessive behavior. 

“Huh,” Sebastian scoffed. “You couldn’t tell that from where I was standing, dear.” He turned away from his latest project to stare at her. As usual, her clothes were in disarray, her wrinkled pants and untucked shirt almost screaming her need for his guidance. “Come here, Sam. You look a mess.” 

“You could use a good mess!” Samantha shouted, stalking out of the library. 

  • All periods, commas, question marks, and exclamation points go inside the quotation marks.
  • You should never put “double” “quotation” “marks” next to one another unless you are making a list of quoted items—otherwise, “double quotation marks” is sufficient. 

As I recall, you told me, “I am busy,” “I have plans,” and finally, “I am dead. Please leave a message” the last time we talked about this.  

Review the Rules

  1. If you start a sentence with dialogue, capitalize the first letter of the spoken words but leave the rest in lowercase (except proper names). Put a comma at the end of the spoken words (inside the quotation marks) if it’s not a question or exclamation point. 

“I don’t know why you do this to me,” Sebastian pondered. He stared at the books lining the walls, face blank while his thoughts raced. “It’s only matches,” he whispered. 

  1. If you start with the tag (the “he said” part of the sentence), you should start the actual spoken words with a capital letter. Put a comma (if it’s not a question/exclamation) after the verb and before the first quotation mark.

Sebastian said, “She’ll be back.”

  1. If you interrupt a complete sentence with a tag, do not capitalize the words after the tag. If you have two separate sentences with a tag ending the first one, capitalize the second sentence.  

“I know she will forgive me,” he moaned, “eventually.” He glanced at the door, suddenly sure he heard her returning footsteps. “She’s coming back,” he whispered. “I know it.”

  1. If the spoken words are not a statement, put the question mark or exclamation point inside the quotation mark (as long as the spoken words are a question/exclamation). If the entire sentence is a question or exclamation, then put the marks outside the quotation mark. 

“Why do I put up with him?” she wondered, staring down the long hallway. “He’s such a jerk!” she snapped, hands fisting at her sides. “Those matches,” she mused, shaking her head, “make me absolutely crazy.” How dare he say she looked “a mess”? “It’s only matches” indeed!

  1. Unspoken thoughts should be italicized to distinguish them from spoken words. Consider having tags like “he thought” or “she wondered” so listeners to your audiobook can tell which parts are spoken aloud and which ones are internal thoughts. You don’t need it every single time, but for important moments, it can make things clearer to your listeners. 

Just one more box, Sebastian thought, emptying the matches onto the table. 

  1. Only spoken words go inside quotation marks—not reported speech. 

I remember when she told me she was leaving me, Sebastian thought, lips pursing as he began lining up the matchsticks. Perhaps I shouldn’t have said, “You look a mess”?

  1. When quoting someone else’s words inside a quote, use single quotes. 

“But why would he say ‘You look a mess’ to me like that?” she wondered, glancing down at her clothing. “I guess I should be glad he didn’t say ‘You look a “hot” mess’ after all.”

  1. If your character speaks for more than one paragraph (telling a story), don’t use end quotation marks until the character finishes speaking. This means you will not put quotation marks at the end and beginning of each new paragraph. 

That’s it! While we’re here, a few things to avoid when dealing with dialogue:

  1. Do not capitalize the word after the quote unless it’s a proper name: “Don’t do it like this,” She said. (“Do it like this,” she said.)
  2. Do not put periods between the quote and the speaker: “Don’t do this.” She added.  (“Do this instead,” she added). 
  3. Don’t use tag words that don’t actually signify speech: “This is so amazingly funny,” he laughed. Did he laugh those words? No. He laughed after he said those words. “This is so amazingly funny!” He laughed. (I added the exclamation point because he’s probably excited about whatever is so funny, but you could leave the period.) I keep seeing characters who shrug, chuckle, smile, and grin words (and that’s just creepy sometimes). Add the period and separate the words from the action. 

I hope this has helped shed some light on how to properly format your dialogue to save both your readers and your editor’s sanity!

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5 Call to Actions to Include in Your Book

Keeping the reader engaged once they hit the end of the story can prove difficult. They came, they saw, they read, and now they are hunting for the next read. Adding value or some means of continuing to sell or hold the reader’s attention after they’ve finished “using” or “reading” your product is a daunting task. Especially since so many of them have TBR, To Be Read, list as tall as they are. What could you possibly do or say at the end of the book that would result in further action from them?

What is a Call to Action?

A call to action is a marketing term for inviting your audience to take the next step. This comes in many forms from links, to recommendations, to selling more books or other products. Depending on the author, you’ve seen this from joining a newsletter to checking out the next book in the series. Regardless, this should be easy, hyperlinked, and straight forward. Providing scannable codes and images can go a long way to encourage immediate follow through. Convenience is your friend! Also be mindful to use strong verbs to prompt a sense of urgency and to take action!

They don’t necessarily need to sell anything at all, but there should be some means of securing one of the following intent:

  1. A means to continue to reach or engage with the reader.
  2. Add value to the book or invite a means to keep reading.
  3. Gain something in return in the form of reviews or similar interactions.
  4. Access social media and websites to increase foot traffic and followers.
  5. Invite them to read and buy other books or more books within the series.

Top 5 Recommended Call to Action for Books

  1. Join my newsletter for behind-the-scenes and updates.

Having them join your newsletter is vital and should be the initial aim for any author. Once you have them on your list, you can continue to engage with them one-on-one. This includes the ability to continually provide a variety of calls to action such as attending live events, vote of book awards, reminders to leave a review and provide exact link to where you wish them, and so much more. It has been proven time and time again that this is the best means for review and preorders on new releases with 10-12% of your subscribers guaranteed to follow through. In short, out of about 100 subscribers, you have the potential to gain roughly 10 reviews and/or sales on the next release!

  1. Book Club Questions to aid libraries and book clubs.

Invite them to include your book as part of a book club! Including questions in the back of your book often provides a means for libraries and club managers to choose your book over many others. On top of that, providing a means for them to contact you for events or to attend their club meeting, special pricing for bulk orders, or even a link to getting signature plates here can add a more personal touch. On top of that, book club questions can often spark the reader to re-read your book with some of the questions in mind and provide a new reading experience. Check out our blog on creating book club questions: https://4horsemenpublications.com/a-handy-guide-to-book-club-questions/ 

  1. Invite them to leave a review.

It’s completely ok to remind readers and encourage them to voluntarily leave a review on their preferred book sites. Even when you send a newsletter using this Call of Action, you will be pleasantly surprised how many new reviews and replies from excited readers come pouring in. Beware of providing direct links to specific retailers, this could cause ebooks and paperbacks to be pulled down. For example, Amazon will unpublish a book that has URLs that aren’t Author specific or Amazon link. A great work around for this is using your author domain, Book2Read, or even LinkTree to limit being flagged.

  1. Follow me on social media.

Again, it’s always a good idea to make sure the reader can connect to you directly. Branding and consistency in how you are posting on social media can keep readers engaged between writing books. It also means you can share the things that inspire you or even cross promote with fellow authors to keep them coming back and being fed the content and stories they enjoy the most. Again, be sure to use the same handle across the board, utilize LinkTree or a website domain to make it convenient for readers to link and follow you via their preferred social media. Not every book genre works on every social media platform, so pay attention to where you readers are coming from!

  1. Next book and a sample.

Lastly, give your readers a sense of security. Let them see the next book in series or a story by you is in the works, or even done. Give them 1-3 chapters of that book and convenient links as to where to go to find it. Again, be cautious not to use direct links from product pages at actual stores such as Amazon, BN, Target, etc. Instead, use this as a chance and teaser to pull in a double Call for Action by combining this with social media and newsletter links. These are ways to continue to reach the reader beyond the initial action of “buying the new/next book” and instead, gives you a chance (and the reader’s permission) to share your author journey, events, books, reviews, and more.

Last Thoughts

Be creative! Call to Actions come in different formats and there are an amazing variety of articles on how other industries and marketing teams slip them in. Those emails where sections and eye-catching statements have been hyperlinked is another variety. You can think of these as textual precursors to what social media does now, with “link in bio” or even a “click here to watch more” great examples. 

Don’t be afraid to get adventurous. These can be blanket statements and should have the punch of those elevator pitches you’ve been playing with for agents. Don’t be afraid to express things about the characters, yourself as the author, or invite them to get something from you through your newsletter. 

Click here if you like broody, angsty demons that are legendary!

Mythology, Romance, and all the angst! Oh my! Check out author Valerie Willis.

Want to know the secrets behind the history and lore of the Cedric Series? Click here.

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From the Author/Editor’s Desk: A Guide to Worldbuilding (Part Two: Worldbuilding 101–the Author Side) 

We’ve all been there, right in the middle of a tense scene, when we lose the flow of the writing because we need to figure out a detail, a world mechanic, a backstory, or another little thing that underpins the moment we’re crafting. Worldbuilding is a complicated task, a mixture of Big Picture Overviews and Nitty Gritty Details that require organizational skills and excellent recordkeeping–or I suppose, an impeccable memory, though I cannot claim that (especially after Covid broke my brain!). 

There are many ways to create your world–and there are just as many ways to record those details to doublecheck later on when you need to ensure consistency across a series. Some authors create massive world guides (which they can later publish as reader extras!), though I have seen some people spend so much time on this document that they never actually get around to the story they want to tell inside that world. Another downside of the massive world guide is that some authors get so excited about it that the story they meant to tell gets lost amid the new details and context they have developed. Think of this guide as an iceberg–yes, readers know there’s more under the water. They can explore it if they want when they read your guide (published after the series ends, of course), but remember that your job as the author is to tell a story. With Characters. And Conflicts. All these details are nice to know when the moment arises (so you can mention the former governor’s policies on tea taxes), but they aren’t the story you’re telling–and they should always just stay in the background. Just think–if your story is as popular as Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, you’ll be able to publish multiple guides and early drafts to satisfy the superfans. Most of your readers, though, just want the story that rests atop the world you have created.  

On the other hand, some authors wing it, relying on memory and fans to tell them if they switched a detail. Readers tend to be annoyed by this style, but plenty of authors still do it. The downside, of course, is that once a story screws up a detail or world mechanic, it’s really hard to recover–and some readers will DNF and never forget. 

Let’s avoid all that unpleasantness and allow readers to get lost in the Secondary World of your story! One way to do this is to get a worldbuilding guide–a book designed to help you create your world. (Psst, I wrote one). 

Your worldbuilding guide should help you consider the following: 

  1. Big Picture issues like creation, gods, myths, legends, and heroes (and probably villains)
    1. Where did your world come from?
    2. Are there gods or god-like beings that affect your character’s lives? 
    3. What are common myths or legends your characters would know?
  1. Cultural issues like government, society, cultural practices, warfare, and appearance (and you probably need a map somewhere!)
    1. How does the world run? Who’s in charge? How does this affect your characters?
    2. What social practices are familiar to your characters? What behaviors would shock them?
  1. Social issues like economy, education, relationships, communication, technology, travel, and health and wellness
    1. What does it mean to be educated in your world?
    2. What is a “normal” relationship between characters?
    3. How do your characters communicate over distances?
  1. World Mechanics like science, nature, weather, measurements (time and distance)
    1. Does your world use a recognized system of measurement (Pounds, kilograms) or something you’ve created (wheels, boughs)?
  1. People and creatures who live in your world
    1. Who lives in your world? How do they get along with the other inhabitants?

If you like this layout, check The General Guide to Worldbuilding by JM Paquette (order HERE). This one also includes open-ended questions, guided activities, cool artwork, and a ton of resources like character cards, plot points, general notes, and top five lists. 

If you write in a specific genre, you may enjoy the themed Worldbuilding Guides, coming soon from 4 Horsemen Publications–Fantasy, Paranormal Horror, Science Fiction, and Romance. 

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Unveiling the Magic: The Importance of Using Psychological Principles to Create 3D Characters!

In the world of storytelling, characters serve as the heart and soul of any narrative. Crafting 3D characters, those who feel real and relatable, requires more than mere description and plot devices. By incorporating psychological principles into character development, writers can breathe life into their creations, resonating deeply with readers and leaving a lasting impact. In this blog post, we’ll explore the significance of using psychological principles to create 3D characters and how it elevates the art of storytelling.

  1. Relatability and Empathy: One of the key advantages of applying psychological principles to character development is the ability to create relatable characters. Human beings are inherently drawn to stories that reflect their own struggles, emotions, and experiences. By understanding the nuances of human psychology, writers can craft characters with flaws, fears, and aspirations that readers can connect with on a profound level. As readers empathize with the characters’ journeys, they become emotionally invested in the story, making the reading experience all the more powerful and engaging.
  2. Authenticity and Depth: A character’s authenticity is crucial to their believability. Psychological principles allow writers to delve into the complexities of human behavior and emotions, creating characters with depth and authenticity. By exploring their backgrounds, motivations, and internal conflicts, writers can paint a vivid picture of the character’s persona. As readers witness the inner workings of a character’s mind, they develop a sense of intimacy with the story, making the characters feel like real people with genuine struggles and triumphs.
  3. Character Arcs and Growth: Psychological principles also play a pivotal role in shaping character arcs. Understanding how individuals respond to challenges and evolve over time enables writers to create dynamic character development. Characters can start with weaknesses and vulnerabilities, and as they encounter obstacles, they grow and transform, ultimately overcoming their flaws or facing their inner demons. This growth not only adds depth to the character but also provides readers with a sense of fulfillment as they witness the character’s personal journey.
  4. Reader Engagement and Investment: The power of psychological principles lies in their ability to captivate readers’ attention and keep them invested in the story. As readers observe characters navigating through relatable psychological struggles, they find themselves drawn into the narrative, emotionally attached to the outcomes. By creating multi-dimensional characters, writers can hold readers in suspense, drive them to turn each page, and keep them emotionally engaged until the story’s resolution.

Incorporating psychological principles into character development is an art that elevates storytelling to new heights. Creating 3D characters fosters empathy, authenticity, and growth, leading to more profound connections with readers. As writers harness the power of psychology to craft multi-dimensional characters, they gift their readers with an immersive and transformative journey. So, the next time you sit down to create characters, remember the magic of psychological principles, and let your storytelling prowess shine.

In summary, by understanding the psychological motivations and complexities that drive human behavior, writers can craft characters that resonate with readers on a profound level. Creating 3D characters that are relatable, authentic, and undergo growth throughout the story ensures an engaging and emotionally fulfilling reading experience. As writers embrace the magic of psychological principles, they elevate the art of storytelling to new heights, creating narratives that leave a lasting impact on their audience. So, the next time you sit down to create characters, remember the power of psychology, and let your storytelling prowess shine.

Do you want to learn more? 

Check out the book and the course, The Psychology of Character Design—Using Psychological Principles to Design 3D Characters and uncover all the secrets of using psychological principles to craft life-like characters.

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From the Author/Editor’s Desk: A Guide to Worldbuilding (Part One: Secondary Worlds and Why We Care–the Reader Side)

We’ve all been there, right in the middle of a tense scene, when something in the story contradicts something we already know about the world, and boom–we’re sitting outside the story again, disappointed and a bit miffed that the author couldn’t maintain the magic. Whether it’s something complicated like a magical system or something simple like the song on the radio at the bar, the stories we read need consistent details to make the world feel believable. These little things all add up to create the word of the story, a world readers to crawl inside and explore. 

Tolkien talks about what he called the Primary and Secondary Worlds in his essay “On Faerie Stories” (where he basically defends fantasy as a worthy genre, among other things). The Primary World, of course, is the one in which you live, the one in which you now sit, currently reading these words. Perhaps the words are on your phone screen; maybe you’re waiting for a bus or curled up on a couch, nursing your morning coffee. Either way, odds are you don’t always find the Primary World to be the Best Thing Ever. For Tolkien, the Primary World is good because we all live in it, but it’s definitely lacking in certain aspects–and that’s why readers read Fantasy (or really anything imaginary at all). We want to escape the Primary World and spend some time in a Secondary World. 

Now, let’s pause for a moment, as Tolkien did, to examine that word “escape.” One of the easy criticisms of fantasy readers is that they can’t face the real world and have to run away into a book. I’m probably not alone in being told that reading so-called “escapist fiction” is some kind of cop-out, a weakness, a failure to accept the very real world around all of us. Tolkien disagrees, and in the most Tolkien way ever, of course, because he starts by examining that word “escape” (Tolkien’s love of words and philology knows no bounds!). He argues that there is a difference between what he calls the Flight of the Deserter and the Escape of the Prisoner. Readers of fantasy aren’t deserting reality because they can’t handle it. They aren’t running away. Instead, readers (and everyone else in the Primary World) are all prisoners of what can be, honestly, a pretty terrible place sometimes. For Tolkien, a devout Catholic, the Primary World is a fallen world, a kicked-out-of-Paradise world, and so of course, like anyone imprisoned, the inhabitants will long to escape–to occupy their minds with something not so depressing. Keep in mind that Tolkien lived through two World Wars (he fought in WWI and was one of a handful of survivors among his classmates). You don’t need to be Catholic to see that some days, the Primary World sucks–and the urge to escape into somewhere else, anywhere else, is a perfectly normal human reaction. It’s not that fantasy readers can’t handle the real world; it’s that the real world is often ugly and harsh–and humans need a break. A release. An escape. Who would deny a prisoner the chance to escape, at least in the mind?

So where are we prisoners, I mean, readers to escape into? The Secondary World. Where can we find that? Inside the writer’s mind, at first, but then through some artful magic, what Tolkien calls Enchantment, readers are also allowed to inhabit this Secondary World. And this world only works if it is consistent in and of itself. There must be rules, and the rules must be followed, or readers (and prisoners) risk being knocked out of the story forever, unable to enter it believably again. 

In other words, if people in the book’s world use the sun and candle rings to tell time, then someone shouldn’t say it’s 10:11pm. If people can fly on broomsticks, then that’s how gravity works (or doesn’t) in that world. The world should be consistent. Readers pay attention to the little things, the details, when they invest in a story. If authors switch out the small stuff, readers will notice, and then remember they are reading a book, finding themselves back in the Primary World rather than still lost in the Secondary World the writer has created for them. 

Another thing to keep in mind when discussing worldbuilding: willing suspension of disbelief. You may have heard this term somewhere in a literature course, but the essential idea is this: Of course I always know I’m reading a book. My fingers feel the pages, possibly my neck aches from staying in one position too long, I can hear the soft shuffle of the page as I turn it (or hear that little electric swoosh noise my Kindle makes when I turn on that sound feature). But sometimes, when the enchantment is done right, I can forget all that, and really lose myself in a story, falling headfirst into the world of the characters, blissfully watching their trials as the real world goes by outside the pages. In order to do that, though, I have to willingly suspend my disbelief. If I’m reading a book where people can fly, and I know that flying isn’t possible in the Primary World, I have to willingly and knowingly suspend my natural disbelief in the possibility–and just go with it. Often, people who don’t enjoy reading fiction have a hard time making this leap. In order to travel from the Primary World to the Secondary World, you have to leave your disbelief behind–and accept whatever rules the Secondary World has. 

Since we spent so much time on Tolkien, this is a good time to bring up the fact that while he enjoyed plays (and movies) in theory, he never “got lost” in them because he could never forget he was watching people perform either on stage or screen. He thought performers could never transport him the way words on a page could, the way his own imagination could. Either way, there is no transportation at all if the Secondary World isn’t coherent and complete in itself. 

Proper worldbuilding, creating a world behind the story that stands on its own and supports the tale being told, is critical if authors want readers to join them in a Secondary World. How does one create a believable world? As the old adage says, lots and lots of time and practice. And maybe a little help. 

Check out The General Worldbuilding Guide, coming soon from 4 Horsemen Publications (pre-order HERE).

In Part Two of this blog, I’ll delve into the nitty gritty of worldbuilding, and we can get you started on creating a viable Secondary World for your readers. 

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From the Editor’s Desk: A Guide to Ellipses

You wouldn’t think that three little dots would cause so much trouble… but here we are! An ellipsis is the mark of punctuation created when you join three periods together and hit the spacebar–your writing program should join the separate periods into a single unit of punctuation. 

An ellipsis indicates hesitation… and it’s really annoying when people overuse them. There are legitimate reasons for people to pause in your writing (especially during narration), but when someone always ends a sentence with an ellipses, it makes them seem uncertain about everything. 

A few ground rules: 

  1. An ellipsis includes three periods. Not two or four, but three. 
  2. An ellipsis can function as end punctuation. You do not need to add a period or question mark or exclamation point after it.  
  3. You use an ellipsis to indicate a pause in the sentence, a moment for a character to find the right word or decide how to proceed or what to say, or even for the narration to reveal something … slowly. 
  4. Generally speaking, treat ellipses like a word when they occur in the middle of a sentence or clause; that is, they get a space on either side. So if you begin … a sentence, and then continue the thought, it looks like this. 
  5. If the ellipsis occurs after a complete clause, put a space after it, but not before. So if I’m not certain how to do this… but eventually I read a blog and figure it out, it looks like this. 
  6. If the ellipsis ends the clause and the next sentence is its own thought, capitalize the first word after the ellipsis. For instance, if I am uncertain… Then I go home and read a blog about ellipses, this is how it would look. 

Ellipses in action

If the ellipses ends the sentence, it looks like this: 

  • Don’t get me wrong: I had a blast. I don’t know… It just didn’t spark anything, you know?
  • “I won’t let you paint my nails because…” Jordan thought for a moment. 

If the ellipse is in the middle of sentence, it looks like this:

  • He paid his bills, his taxes, bought what he needed … and watched his bank account dwindle.
  • We’d need sets, actors, cameramen, sound people … and more importantly, money to pay those people.

If the ellipses is in the middle of a sentence where it is more “stuttering” or hesitating, it looks like this:

  • I… I don’t know. 
  • Wh… What?

MORE Ellipses Examples

No Space before—new idea after ellipses… 

  • Gabriella tells her, “Like you… yes… I see a part of myself in your face, the way you are looking at me now.” 
  • He helped them start the genocide that’s happening where I was born, blinding them into believing they were gods… that they have the power over life and death. 
  • It’d break her heart to hear… and you and I both know I shouldn’t be naysaying a gift. 
  • I would say I like to go out in that rec yard, but it’s a concrete box with mesh over my head… still walls. No need to belabor that… I’m fucking done. 
  • But this… this type of thing, she can’t investigate. 
  • Wilson’s dead… my boy… my legacy is dead, but I’ll be goddamned if my legacy will be some bitch sitting in my house. 
  • He swirls the brown liquid in the cup, teasing spilling it on her white couch… messing with her some. 
  • I know you have something you want to say… Not speaking isn’t an easy thing for you. 
  • I… I don’t know.

Space—pause within same idea … within the sentence (Christopher Walken style) 

  • “They are evil. Devils … destroying what was a great country, a great people.” 
  • Some places … like the one I was at before all this started, they had good food. 
  • Her face absorbs the seriousness of the space … and the death. 
  • Tanner … Brogdon is not just some pretty boy. 
  • That you exaggerated or lied about … some truth.

Both space and no space in the same sentence! 

  • He thought … he couldn’t accept that by working with those … savages who now control the South… He thought he could control everyone. 
  • Either you embellished it or something, or you made it up… Either way … it hurts your credibility.

The bottom line is that ellipses are hard, but they can be mastered by following a few simple rules. Think about the clauses in your sentence and use that as your guide for spacing!