Story Binder Printables e-Book (with 450+ pages of writing exercises, actionable advice, 100+ publishing resources, and now it’s FREE!)
Finish Writing Your Novel And GET PUBLISHED by Using These FREE Story Binder Printables!
Are you ready to finally finish your novel and get it published? Subscribe to my newsletter and get instant access to the Story Binder Printables e-Book—450+ pages of printable worksheets, writing exercises, and story guides designed to help you build strong characters, craft compelling plots, stay on track with your goals, keep your novel notes organized, and push you to actually finish writing your novel. There’s also 100+ writing, editing, publishing, and marketing resources and an exclusive, subscriber-only, lifetime discount on all of the editing services I offer! You’ll also get lifetime access to my upcoming Online Resources Library, packed with all the aforementioned resources and more—just for my loyal newsletter subscribers!
Don’t miss out on this FREE gift! Sign up now and get your copy delivered straight to your inbox!
This blog post was written by a human. Hi readers and writerly friends!
If you’re a returning reader, welcome back, and if you’re new to the blog, thanks for stopping by! I am so unbelievably excited to announce that I’m bringing the beloved Story Binder Printables Packet back, and it’s better than ever! After almost ten years, this much-needed, long-awaited redesign is finally here! Simultaneously updated and upgraded, the Story Binder Printables e-Book is the best version of itself yet. Keep reading for all the deets—(and the download link! 😉)
One of the biggest hurdles many writers (myself included) face, regardless of experience or skill level, is staying organized. Between character profiles, research notes, plot threads, and entire collections of inspo pics, it’s easy to end up lost in a chaotic mess of documents, digital files, and notebooks. I’ve been writing stories since I could hold a crayon and it’s pretty safe to say that I’ve tried it all—folders, notebooks, cloud-based word processing software, and even digital writing & notetaking apps. A controversial, yet brave opinion—keeping everything novel-related neat and accessible can feel just as overwhelming as dragging myself to my desk for my daily writing session. Is that just me? Doubt it. After years of trying (unsuccessfully) to force a hodge-podge of folders and notebooks and cloud storage systems to fit my unique writing process, I finally decided I’d had enough and created a customized solution to my creative conundrums.
For writers—or any other creative individual, for that matter—staying organized isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity. An effective, reliable, and sustainable organizational system is essential for maintaining your creative momentum and actually finishing your novel.
It’s time to get organized, finish writing your novel, and get published.
If your notes are scattered all over the place, or stored across several different mediums and platforms, the Story Binder is about to change your life. Did I just call you disorganized in a blog post? Maybe. It depends. Does the shoe fit? If so, sorry, not sorry. Because once you see how much easier writing becomes with everything in one place, you’ll never go back. The Story Binder helps you collect, organize, and navigate every part of your story with ease, so you can spend less time searching and more time actually writing. The Story Binder just works. I’ll say it louder for the readers in the back.
THE STORY BINDER WORKS.
Seriously. It keeps everything exactly where it’s supposed to be, so you can quickly find your notes and get right back to writing in record time.
When I first released the original Story Binder Printables Packet back in 2016, it was a modest little PDF packet: just 52 pages, 10 color options, and priced at $10. It was one of the first printables I’d ever designed and I released it back in my freshman year of college! In 2019, I overhauled and completely rebranded my business and website, which entailed tasks such as operating under a new business name, switching to a new domain, updating logos and other assets, redesigning the website, adding a few fun and fresh colors to my color palette and brand kit, to name a few. Pair that with ten years of freelance editing and publishing industry experience, and suffice to say that an updated version of the Story Binder Printables Packet that reflected these changes was long overdue. Fast forward to 2025, and the new version has transformed into a full-blown e-Book with over 450 pages! On that note, you’ll see me referring to the old printables as a packet and the new printables as an e-Book. I think a PDF with that many pages can no longer be considered a packet, so an e-Book it is!
And the best part? It’s FREE.
The updated and upgraded 2025 edition still includes the 10 original colors, but now offers 25 additional color variants to choose from and more to come in the future! Each one comes in both black-text and white-text versions to suit your preferences and your screen or printer settings. Whether you’re a visual minimalist or someone who loves a bold aesthetic, there’s a version that’ll fit your workflow perfectly. Currently, all 35 colors follow the same formula and format, but I am already brainstorming what new colors, styles, and patterns to include in the next update. Continue reading to check them out and if you have any requests or suggestions for designs in the next edition, feel free to let me know by sending an email to me directly at hello@PaytonHayes.com!
What’s so great about the Story Binder Printables e-Book?
All of your notes are neatly contained in one place, making your daily writing practice more inspiring and encouraging and your writing process more mobile! Goodbye stuffy, old home office; hello fresh air and coffee shops!
Specific novel notes are organized by category and they’re easy-to-find without disrupting your writing process to dig through old folders stuffed with coffee-stained, hastily-scrawled, handwritten notes…never again.
Forget the boring digital Word Docs and the ruled loose leaf notebook paper. The Story Binder is functional for sure, but did I mention how fabulous it is? With 35 color variants to choose from (not counting the black and white text colorways), these printables will reignite your writing passion and fuel you with inspiration every time you open your Story Binder!
And best of all? 468 pages of actionable content that will keep you on track with your writing practice and will guide you to the finish line with your novel. Yes, I’ve spent all this time and webpage space ranting about how effective the Story Binder is at keeping your novel notes organized, but that’s just one reason why it’s so successful at helping writers finish and publish their books!
The Story Binder Printables e-Book is an organizational tool, writing workbook, and publishing roadmap crafted with intention, for creative writers who want to finally finish writing and actually publish their novels.
When I say there’s 468 pages of actionable content inside the Story Binder Printables e-Book, I’m not just throwing in a bunch of buzzwords and keywords for SEO. Every single page sparks inspiration and encourages you to take action. Not only that, but it’s adaptable, practical, sustainable, guided action, informed by over a decade’s-worth of freelance writing and editing experience from yours truly. I went to college for creative writing and editing for the publishing industry. I’ve read dozens of writing craft books, editing manuals, novel planning and plotting guidebooks, and more and I’ve worked with a plethora of clients from fiction to nonfiction and everything in between. While I’m proud of my experience and education, I’m not just saying all this so I can brag to strangers on the internet. My point is this: if you’re looking for a blank canvas, the Story Binder isn’t it. It’s so, so much more than just a template for you to fill in the blanks. Every page was thoughtfully and meticulously designed, with 10+ years of writing expertise in mind.
Likewise, the Story Binder isn’t just a novel reference notebook. It’s a flexible, customizable and adaptable novel outline system made specifically for YOUR story. Think of it as your very own book bible. It’s your personal roadmap for writing and publishing a novel, complete with all the tools you need to stay organized, inspired, and on track from first idea to final draft.
With this new system your writing process and daily writing practice will have fewer barriers to entry, less friction keeping you from getting started, fewer distractions and ultimately less interruptions that pull you out of your flow state. The Story Binder Printables e-Book will give you every tool you need in your toolkit to confidently complete your novel and get it published. The Story Binder will help you keep every detail of your novel in one place. No more digging through endless notes, cross-referencing various digital drafts, or worrying about losing crucial details to tech glitches. No more scrolling your search results for hours only to get stuck in a research loop of exploring the ins and outs publishing industry and being inundated with advertisements. No more halting your writing progress to search up a quick question about querying literary agents—that let’s face it: never ends up being quick. Just grab your binder, flip to the section you need, and get back to writing.
So what’s inside the Story Binder Printables e-Book?
The new and improved Story Binder Printables e-Book is a writing workbook, publishing roadmap, and a treasure trove of resources packed with nearly 500 pages of worksheets, templates, and trackers created for use in any genre, demographic, or at any stage of your writing process.
Inside the e-Book, you’ll find:
A variety of Story Binder Covers in different styles, from bold to minimalist designs, to keep you motivated.
Instruction Guide Sheets for setting up your binder in a way that actually works for you.
Section Dividers (with and without headers), Section Tabs, and Page Number Tabs to help you organize your navigation your way.
Author Ownership Page to designate your book bible as uniquely yours.
Brainstorming Worksheets including a Mind-Map Sheet, Idea Keeper Sheet, and distinct sections for ordering and storing your Story Fragments and Deleted Scenes for later use.
Motivational Daily Writing Activities from Writing Warm-Up Prompts to Story Exploration Exercises to Writing Challenges and more, to keep your writing practice fresh and fun.
Plot Progression Worksheets (such as Chapter and Scene Lists, Scene Tracker Sheets, Scene Cards, Tension & Pacing Worksheets, Timeline Charts, and a Novel Storyboard Sheet)
Author Voice, Style, and Tone Worksheets specifically designed to help you maintain a consistent and cohesive narrative throughout the novel, while preserving your unique writing style, authorly voice, and your characters’ distinct personalities.
Summarization Worksheets, such as the general Novel Overview Sheet & Synopsis Sheets to help you see the forest for the trees in your story, from a bird’s-eye view, to the miniscule details at the ground level.
Creative Companion Activities including a Novel Inspo Exercise, a Mood Board Activity, and a Story Soundtrack Worksheet to help get your creativity flowing and recharge your creative battery.
Character Development Worksheets including Detailed Character Profiles, Voice and Dialogue Exercises, Character Arc Outlines, Relationship Maps, Name Lists and Pronunciation Guides, Mainstream and Speculative Fiction Character Questionnaires, Backstory Studies, Character Sheets and Moral Alignment Charts (inspired by Dungeons & Dragons) to get you into the hearts and heads of your characters.
Visual Writing Progress Trackers (including a 30-Day Word Count Tracker, Novel Progress Tracker, and a Writing Goals Exercise, to help you stay disciplined and keep you accountable to your daily writing practice.
Setting & World-Building Exercises—from Setting Questionnaires to Map-Making Activities, Magic Systems Worksheets, Speculative Fiction Glossaries, and more—to help you transport readers to the wondrous world(s) in which your story takes place!
Revision Roadmap that includes a step-by-step Editing Action Plan, a series of draft-by-draft Review Checklists, a strategic Self-Editing Checklist, and a variety Revision Reflection Prompts, giving you actionable editorial insight, progressively honing your writing skills, keeping you on course for completing your novel, and refining your story in each iteration!
Publishing Prep Sheets that include Beta Reader Questionnaires and Comments & Critiques Forms, as well as Publishing Plans and Checklists (for both traditional and independent publishing routes) to assist you in sharing your story with the world.
Reflective Journal Prompts at the end worksheets to encourage critical and constructive examination, introspection, and mindful contemplation of your experience at every stage in your writing process. Reflective journaling allows you to pause, assess, and realign as needed, helping you track progress with your project(s), notice improvement in your writing skills, and stay focused and motivated to reach your creative goals.
Plus LIFETIME ACCESS To:
All updates and future editions of the Story Binder Printables e-Book, including new color variations and designs.
The upcoming online Story Binder Printables e-Book Resources Library, an ever-growing collection of writing, editing, publishing, and marketing resources (including but not limited to books, articles, guides, tools, software, and apps.)
An Exclusive, Subscriber-Only Discount on any editing services I offer—just for my loyal newsletter subscribers! (Yes! This discount can be combined with other applicable discounts. See the Discounts section on my Homepage for more information!)
Once I started using the Story Binder method for my own novels, everything just clicked. My writing process became smoother, faster, and more consistent. Years of working with clients, and going through trial and error with my own writing, taught me what works and what doesn’t. I’ve packed over a decade’s worth of experience into this 468-page toolkit (per color variant!) to help you write better, faster, and more confidently.
Yep, you read that right—each color variant includes both a black-text and white-text option. That’s 934 pages per color, and with 35 colors to choose from, you’ve got 22,416 possible combinations for creating your perfect Story Binder. And since the Story Binder Printables e-Book is a digital download, you can print and reuse it infinitely, across all your novels, short stories, and other creative writing projects!
Over 250 Story Binder Cover Options!
〰️
Over 250 Story Binder Cover Options! 〰️
Are you thinking this sounds too good to be true?
I get it. You’ve probably seen a dozen polished websites with flashy sales copy and overpriced “limited-time offers.” I can assure you, this situation is different. I’m not asking you to buy or do anything. Let me explain. 🤗
The Story Binder Printables Packet has been available on my site for almost a decade, and hundreds of writers have purchased and loved it. As I mentioned in the opening paragraph of this post, I created this system as a solution for my own writing struggles and it ended up being an invaluable resource for so many other writers over the years. The new and improved e-Book version is backed by real publishing experience and years of working with other writers.
Throughout the process of revising, editing, and redesigning the Story Binder Printables e-Book, I came to the realization that I don’t want paywall to be the obstacle that stands in the way of helping other writers share their stories with the world. As an entrepreneur, I still have to earn sufficient income to afford my lifestyle, keep my business going, and pay back my student loans, so naturally, reducing my rates isn’t an option for me—especially not in this economy!
That said, one simple way that I can give back to my beloved writing community is to make the Story Binder Printables e-Book accessible to all writers, no matter their writing experience or skill, notoriety, genre, audience demographics, or any other distinction. I believe removing the price tag will allow the Story Binder to inspire, encourage, and empower more writers than ever before.
As a professional book editor, I make a living from improving other writers’ work, but as a fellow writer, I make a life from helping others tell their stories. Therefore, both as a thank you for supporting my creative pursuits and freelance career, and because it is my mission to help people find connection, representation, and a sense of belonging through story—I’m offering the new and improved 2025 Story Binder Printables e-Book to you for free.
Well, almost free. 😅
Okay, so what’s the catch?
I’m not asking you to buy anything or do anything. I’m not asking you to spend a single cent of your hard-earned money or more than a minute of your time, if that.
All I’m asking for is your email address. That’s it. No payment, no commitment, no sharing required. (Though if you do share this with your own creative community, you might just become my new favorite person.😉)
I understand the hesitation you might be feeling. I used to get so many marketing emails I could barely keep up with my own personal email inbox (let alone my business inbox, so I know exactly how annoying email newsletters can be, if done the wrong way.) I’m not here to spam you. I’m here to connect with fellow creatives and build a community around writing, editing, publishing, and everything in between. That’s why I promise to treat your inbox with respect. I consider the space you make for me in your inbox and the time you set aside in your week to read my emails sacred and this is a unique opportunity for a creative, specific, productive, and ongoing conversation centered on topics such as writing, editing, freelancing, books, art, and all things to do with the publishing industry, to name a few.
So what happens when you join the email list?
Your personal information is safe. I will never share, sell, or misuse your data.
You’ll receive one thoughtful email per week, max. Topics range from writing advice and freelance editing tips to bookworm life and publishing industry insights.
You’ll be notified of any recent articles posted to my blog and given a link that’ll take you straight to the post. I believe that your time is just as valuable as mine, so I’ll never just copy and paste a blog post in an email and hit send. That would be suuuuper lame. But if you’d like a condensed version with your new post notifications, be sure that the box in the form below is checked to join the “Bite-Sized Blog Posts, Please!” newsletter segment. If you’d rather skip the blog post bullet points, make sure the box is unchecked. You can change this at any time by sending me a quick email requesting a change to your email newsletter preferences.
You can easily unsubscribe at any time. No guilt, and no hard feelings. 😎
You’ll never receive anything offensive, discriminatory, or otherwise unprofessional in my newsletter emails. Likewise, I will never spam you. I care deeply about the kind of content I send out into the world and the volumes that content speaks about me both as an editor and as a person.
You can reply to any newsletter if you want to chat, ask questions, or give feedback—I love hearing from other creative peeps like you!
If the Story Binder sounds like something that could help you in your writing journey, I’d love for you to download it, use it, and make it your own. Even if you unsubscribe after downloading, that’s okay. My goal is to get this resource into the hands of as many writers as possible. But if you decide to stick around, I’d be honored to have you along for the ride. So what are you waiting for?
Drop your name and email into the sign-up form below and you’ll be directed to the Story Binder Printables e-Book download page immediately after!
If you made it to the end of this blog post, thanks for reading! And if you signed up for the newsletter using the form above, then you should have been redirected right to the webpage where you can download your all-new, super fabulous Story Binder Printables e-Book! If you’re still reading this, then the download link is on it’s way to your email inbox as we speak! I’m so excited to have you here and I can’t wait to see your novel on bookstore shelves very soon!
All photos used in this post were created using Canva or taken by Payton Hayes.
Related Topics
Book Writing 101: How To Come Up With Great Book Ideas And What To Do With ThemBook Writing 101: How To Write A Book (The Basics)Book Writing 101: Starting Your Book In The Right PlaceBook Writing 101: How To Choose The Right POV For Your NovelBook Writing 101: How To Achieve Good Story PacingBook Writing 101: How To Name Your Book CharactersBook Writing 101: How to Develop and Write Compelling, Consistent CharactersBook Writing 101: Everything You Need To Know About DialogueInfo-Dumping in Science Fiction & Fantasy Novels by Breyonna JordanHow To Write Romance: Effective & Believable Love TrianglesHow To Write Romance: Enemies-To-Lovers Romance (That’s Satisfying and Realistic)How To Write Romance: 10 Heart-Warming and Heart-Wrenching Scenes for Your Romantic ThrillerHow To Write Romance: Believable Best Friends-To-LoversHow To Write Romance: The Perfect Meet CuteCheck out my other Book Writing 101 and How To Write Romance blog posts!
Recent Blog Posts
This blog post was researched, written, and published by a human author without the assistance of generative artificial intelligence (gen-AI). Gen-AI models are trained on text written by humans, therefore, the presence of specific punctuation, verbiage, tone, or predictable, marketing-style phrases alone are not sufficient indicators of gen-AI usage. I implore readers to use context clues, critical thinking, pattern recognition, research, and employ their best judgement when determining the validity of human authorship of print and digital media today. If you want to learn more about my stance on gen-AI and it’s role in media and the publishing industry, I plan to release a blog post on this topic very soon, so stay tuned for that. This disclaimer will be updated once that post goes live. In the meantime, I will continue to be transparent about which tools and resources I use in my work.
Info-Dumping in Science Fiction & Fantasy Novels by Breyonna Jordan
Info-dumping occurs when writers provide excessive background information in a single section, potentially overwhelming readers and disrupting the narrative flow. This issue is prevalent in science fiction and fantasy genres due to their complex world-building requirements. Indicators of info-dumping include lengthy paragraphs, minimal action or conflict, and the author's voice overshadowing the characters'. To avoid this, authors should focus on essential details, integrating additional information gradually as the story progresses. This approach keeps readers engaged without inundating them with information, maintaining a robust and immersive setting.
This blog post was written by a human.Hi readers and writerly friends!
If you’re new to the blog, thanks for stopping by, and if you’re a returning reader, it’s nice to see you again! For this post, Breyonna Jordan is taking over the blog to tell you all about info-dumping in science-fiction and fantasy novels! Leave her a comment and check out her website and other socials!
Breyonna Jordan loves exploring new frontiers—underground cities, mythical kingdoms, and expansive space stations, to be exact. As a developmental editor, she relishes every opportunity to help world-builders improve their works and learn more about the wonderful world of writing. She enjoys novels that are fresh, far-reaching, and fun and she can’t wait to see your next book on her TBR list.
Breyonna Jordan is a developmental editor who specializes in science-fiction and fantasy.
What is Info-Dumping?
When writing sci-fi or fantasy, there’s a steep curve on how much the audience needs to know—a world of a curve in fact.
You may have pages and pages of elaborate world histories that readers must be filled in on—the current and past ruling monarchs, failed (or successful) uprisings, how natural resources became so scarce in this particular region, or why a military state exists in this country, but not in the surrounding lands.
Alternatively, you may feel the need to include pages of small details concerning the settings and characters your readers are exploring. While it’s important to include specific details in your writing—the reader can’t possibly know that the night sky features four moons unless you convey these details—oftentimes, the excess exposition can be overwhelming to readers.
This info-dumping can be a pervasive problem in fiction, maybe even the problem that stops you from finding an awesome agent or from obtaining a following on Amazon.
So, below I’ve offered some tips for spotting info-dumping, reasons for and the potential consequences of info-dumping, as well as several tips for avoiding the info-dump.
How Do You Identify Info-Dumping In Your Manuscript?
A section of your work may contain info-dumping if you find:
you are skipping lines while reading (Brotzel 2020),
the paragraphs are very long,
there is little action and conflict occurring,
your voice (and not your characters) has slipped in,
that it looks like it was copied directly from your outline
To help you get a better idea of what excessive exposition can look like, here are two examples of info-dumping from the first chapter of a sci-fantasy manuscript I worked on:
“Hawk was guarding the entrance to the cave while Beetle went for the treasure. These were not their real names of course but code-names given to them by their commander (now deceased) to hide their true identities from commoners who may begin asking questions. Very few people in the world knew their true names and survived to speak it. Hawk and Beetle knew each other’s true names but had sworn to secrecy. They were the youngest people on their team. Beetle was seventeen with silver hair and had a talent for tracking. Hawk was twenty-one with brown hair which he usually wore under a white bandana. He was well-mannered and apart from his occupation in burglary was an honest rule-follower. Beetle and Hawk had known each other since they were children and were as close as brothers.”
“It is one of the greatest treasures in the entire world of Forest #7. This was thought only to have existed in legend and theological transcripts. This Staff was powered by the Life Twig, a mystic and ancient amulet said to contain the soul of Wind Witch, a witch of light with limitless powers.”
Why Do Writers Info-Dump and What Impacts Does It Have On Their Manuscripts?
As a developmental editor who works primarily with sci-fi and fantasy writers, I’ve seen that info-dumping can be especially difficult for these authors to avoid because their stories often require a lot of background knowledge and world-building to make sense.
In space operas, for example, there may be multiple species and planetary empires with complex histories to keep track of. In expansive epic fantasies, multiple POV characters may share the stage, each with their own unique backstory, tone, and voice.
Here are some other reasons why world-builders info-dump:
they have too many characters, preventing them from successfully integrating various traits,
they want to emphasize character backstories as a driver of motivation,
their piece lacks conflict or plot, using exposition to fill up pages instead,
they are unsure of the readers ability to understand character goals, motivations, or actions without further explanation,
they want to share information that they’ve researched (Brotzel 2020),
they want readers to be able to visualize their worlds the way they see them
A Hobbit house with wood stacked out front. Photo by Jeff Finley.
Though these are important considerations, info-dumping often does more harm than good. Most readers don’t want to learn about characters and settings via pages of exposition and backstory. Likewise, lengthy descriptions:
distract readers from story and theme,
encourage the use of irrelevant details,
make your writing more confusing by hiding key details,
decrease dramatic tension by boring the reader,
slow the pacing and immediacy of writing,
prevent you from learning to masterfully handle characterization and description
Think back to the examples listed above. Can you see how info-dumping can slow the pace from a sprint to a crawl? Can you spot all the irrelevant details that detract from the reader's experience? Do you see the impact of info-dumping on the author’s ability to effectively characterize and immerse the reader in the scene?
Info-dumping is a significant issue in many manuscripts. Often, it’s what divides the first drafts from fifth drafts, a larger audience from a smaller one, a published piece from the slush pile.
What Techniques Can Be Used to Mitigate Info-Dumping?
That said, below are three practical tips to help you avoid and resolve info-dumping in your science-fiction and fantasy works:
Keep focus on the most important details. You can incorporate further information as the story develops. This will allow readers to remain engrossed in your world without overwhelming them. It will also help you maintain a robust setting in which there’s something new for readers to explore each time the character visits.
Weave details between conflict, action, and dialogue (Miller 2014). This will allow the reader to absorb knowledge about your world without losing interest or becoming confused. An expansive galactic battle presents the perfect opportunity to deftly note the tensions between races via character dialogue and behavior. A sword fighting lesson can easily showcase new technology (Dune anyone?). A conversation about floral arrangements for a wedding can subtlysubtely convey exposition. Just make sure to keep the dialogue conversational and realistic.
Allow the reader to be confused sometimes. Most sci-fi and fantasy readers expect to be a bit perplexed by new worlds in the earliest chapters. They understand that they don’t know anything, and thus expect not to learn everything at once. Try not to worry too much about scaring them off with new vocabulary and settings. They can pick up on context clues and make inferences as the story progresses. handle it. If you’re still concerned about the amount of invented terminology and definitions, consider adding a glossary to the back matter of the book instead.
Of course, this all raises the question…
Is It Ever Okay to Info-Dump?
You might think to yourself, “I want to stop info-dumping, but it’s so difficult to write my novel without having to backtrack constantly to introduce why this policy exists, or why this seemingly obvious solution won’t end the Faerie-Werewolf War.”
If you’re a discovery writer, it might be downright impossible to keep track of all these details without directly conveying them in text which is why I encourage you to do exactly that.
Dump all of your histories into the novel without restraint. Pause a climactic scene to spend pages exploring why starving miners can’t eat forest fruit or how this life-saving magical ritual was lost due to debauchery in the forbidden library halls.
Write it all down…
Foggy woods illuminated by a soft, warm light. Photo by Johannes Plenio.
But be prepared to edit it down in the second, third, or even fourth drafts.
Important information may belong in your manuscript, but info-dumps should be weeded out of your final draft as much as possible.
Additionally, as I mention often, I am a firm disbeliever in the power and existence of writing rules. There are novels I love that use info-dumping liberally and even intentionally (re: Hitchhiker’s Guide to The Galaxy by Douglas Adams). Most classics use exposition heavily as well and they remain beloved by fans old and new.
However, what works for one author may not work for everyone and modern trends in reader/ publisher-preference regard info-dumping as problematic. Heavy reliance on exposition is also connected to other developmental problems, such as low dramatic tension and poor characterization.
If you are intentional about incorporating large swaths of exposition and it presents a meaningful contribution to your work, then info-dumping might be a risk worth taking. If the decision comes down to an inability to deal with description and backstory in other ways then consider reaching out to an editor or writing group instead.
What are some techniques you’ve used to avoid info-dumping in your story? Let us know in the comments!
Bibliography
Brotzel, Dan. “Get On With It! How To Avoid Info Dumps in Your Fiction.” Medium article, February 12, 2020.Finley, Jeff. “Hobbit House.” Unsplash photo, February 28, 2018.Gililand, Stein Egil. “Beautiful Green Northern Lights in the Sky.” Pexels photo, January 7, 2014 (Thumnail photo).Miller, Kevin.“How to Avoid the Dreaded Infodump.” Book Editing Associates article, April 14, 2014.Plenio, Johannes. “Forest Light.” Unsplash photo, February 13, 2018.
Related Topics
Book Writing 101: How To Come Up With Great Book Ideas And What To Do With ThemBook Writing 101: How To Write A Book (The Basics)Book Writing 101: Starting Your Book In The Right PlaceBook Writing 101: How To Choose The Right POV For Your NovelBook Writing 101: How To Achieve Good Story PacingBook Writing 101: How To Name Your Book CharactersBook Writing 101: How to Develop and Write Compelling, Consistent CharactersBook Writing 101: Everything You Need To Know About DialogueHow To Write Romance: Effective & Believable Love TrianglesHow To Write Romance: Enemies-To-Lovers Romance (That’s Satisfying and Realistic)How To Write Romance: 10 Heart-Warming and Heart-Wrenching Scenes for Your Romantic ThrillerHow To Write Romance: Believable Best Friends-To-LoversHow To Write Romance: The Perfect Meet CuteCheck out my other Book Writing 101 and How To Write Romance posts.Book Marketing 101: Everything Writers Need To Know About Literary Agents and QueryingHow To Submit Your Writing To—And Get It Published In—Literary Journals
Recent Blog Posts
This blog post was researched, written, and published by a human author without the assistance of generative artificial intelligence (gen-AI). Gen-AI models are trained on text written by humans, therefore, the presence of specific punctuation, verbiage, tone, or predictable, marketing-style phrases alone are not sufficient indicators of gen-AI usage. I implore readers to use context clues, critical thinking, pattern recognition, research, and employ their best judgement when determining the validity of human authorship of print and digital media today. If you want to learn more about my stance on gen-AI and it’s role in media and the publishing industry, I plan to release a blog post on this topic very soon, so stay tuned for that. This disclaimer will be updated once that post goes live. In the meantime, I will continue to be transparent about which tools and resources I use in my work.
NaNoWriMo: 25 Tips To Help You Write A Book In 1 Month + Free NaNoWriMo Printables
This blog post was written by a human.Hi readers and writerly friends!
We didn’t just come here to win NaNoWriMo—no, we came to slay it. Okay, maybe that line is for the horror writers, but I’m serious when I say I am slaying NaNo this year. 2022 is not only a new year, but it’s a new beginning. In 2022, we start and finish our novels, we reach our goals, and we don’t stop for anyone!
I’ve prepared this guide months in advance so you can get prepared too! You should be prepping all of October—er, prep-tober for the biggest, baddest, bestest NaNoWriMo ever! And okay, maybe some of those aren’t real words, but we can pretend, and we can still get psyched! Hooray for reaching our goals and stuff!
This blog post covers everything from background information on NaNoWriMo, to how to prepare for the writing challenge, to emergency solutions for that nasty writer’s block, to FREE printables and more!
I discovered this concept from Shayla Raquel from Shaylaraquel.com I took inspiration from her guide which you can check out here!
The NaNoWriMo Crest. Image by NaNoWriMo.
What is NaNoWriMo?
In my opinion, there’s only two valid reasons for asking this question: 1) you’re a writer and you’ve been living under a rock or 2) you’re a non-writer. Either way, I am here to serve and inform. *Bows graciously* NaNoWriMo is an acronym that stands for National Novel Writing Month. It begins every year on November 1. Participants have 30 days to write a 50,000-word novel. It comes out to 1,667 words a day.
How do I participate?
To get started, simply head to NaNoWriMo.org, click the Sign Up button, and fill out your profile. Once you’ve set up your profile, you can announce your novel, add buddies, and start prepping your book.
Is it free?
It’s free. In fact, NaNoWriMo is a nonprofit. However, if you’d like to support them, you can always donate to their organization.
Are there any local events for NaNoWriMo?
Although people all over the world participate in NaNoWriMo, you can go to their Regions page, find your specific region, and see if there are any Come Write-Ins available.
NaNoWriMo’s Come Write In program connects libraries, bookstores, and other neighborhood spaces with their local NaNoWriMo participants to build vibrant writing communities.
For example, the Yukon Writers’ Society in Oklahoma has four official Come Write-Ins. NaNoWriMo sends out official swag and signs so people know where to go.
How do I win NaNoWriMo?
You must reach your goal of 50,000 words by November 30. To receive your official certificate and get the winner badge on your profile, you must update your word count daily and make sure the word count reaches 50,000 words by November 30, 2020. Here’s their how-to guide.
Download Free Novel Binder Printables
Got a binder handy? Fill it with these beautiful printables and add the necessary information.
Here's what you'll get when you download the free PDF:
Binder title page with name plate
At a Glance — overview of your novel
Character List
The Protagonist — three pages for character details
The Antagonist — three pages for character details
To-Do List—you can fill the list with my NaNoWriMo To-Do List (scroll down!) or make your own!
Story Outline — three pages detailing the parts of a novel as per the three-act story structure
Word Count Tracker—with NaNoWriMo daily word count goal and space for your daily word count reached
I suggest tossing these fantastic freebies into a lovely, matching blue binder! Scroll down to download!
NaNoWriMo To-Do List:
1. Grab some coffee—this is going to be so fun!
2. Set up your NaNoWriMo account
3. Fill out your author bio and add a profile photo.
4. Announce your novel.
5. Add your buddies. (Add me too!)
6. Find your region and see if there are any local Come Write-Ins.
7. Print my free novel binder templates and prepare your binder. (Scroll back up!)
8. Tell your social media friends about NaNoWriMo. Tag NaNoWriMo and use hashtags.
9. Tidy up your writing space and add some inspirational NaNo swag. Or make your own! You can also add a candle, some motivational quotes and pep talk books! (Scroll down!)
10. Put together a NaNo board. This is the fun part! Grab a corkboard or dry erase board and display your outline, character photos, book cover sketches, inspirational quotes—anything that has to do with your book. If you prefer digital vision boards, start a Pinterest board.
11. Download my emergency writer’s block kit for when the dreaded writer’s block inevitably strikes! Don’t let lack of motivation or inspiration slow you down or keep you from reaching your NaNoWriMo goals! (Scroll down!)
12. Create a reward sheet. When you hit 10,000 words, you should get a reward—like a weekly coffee stop for reaching your goals each week or bigger rewards for bigger milestones such as every ten thousand words! Write a list of rewards that go with each big milestone you hit. If all of this motivation fails you, your rewards will keep you on track, believe me.
13. Print the Word Count Calendar (scroll down!) and pin it to your NaNo board!
14. Add official Come Write-Ins to your schedule if you found any (#5).
15. Looks like your cup is empty…coffee break?
16. Create a NaNo playlist. Don’t forget game soundtracks and Ambient Mixer!
17. Set a certain time to write then tell your family/friends/neighbors/pets you are writing for X amount of minutes/hours each day. Be proactive in stopping distractions. Consider postponing plans with friends and family until you’ve met your goal each day.
18. Draw pictures of your characters or Google pictures of what you think they’d look like. I like to have a few photos for every character, including headshots, full-body shots, and photos that accentuate their style. You can add them to your NaNo board!
19. Look at book covers. Obviously don’t steal someone else’s book cover but find a few that you think would represent your book well. Keep them to refer to when NaNo hits. Add to your NaNo board!
20. You think we’re busy now, but wait ‘til we’re really in the trenches. Speaking of being busy, I think it’s time for more coffee—gotta keep the productivity levels up, right?
21. Prepare the manuscript. This is actually really fun and can make you feel like a bona fide novelist. Write your title, table of contents (if you have one), acknowledgments, prologue, and so on. Get the novel looking fancy!
22. Find your accountability buddy now. Get together with them and discuss both of your books! When NaNoWriMo is in full swing and you’re feeling stuck, you can hit up your NaNo buddy for instant support—or a kick in the pants, whichever.
23. At the end of NaNoWriMo grab a celebratory coffee—for winning or for simply participating!
24. Consider donating to NaNoWriMo.
25. If you finish your novel, then great! It’s now time to edit. If you still have some writing to do, stay on the writing train with 1,666 words a day until it’s finished. By participating in NaNoWriMo, you’re building the habit of writing every day and it’s much easier to maintain the habit than to pick it back up if you let it go. Keep writing and you’ll reach the ending before you know it!
Keeping Up With Word Counts
Download my free NaNoWriMo word count calendar so you can keep track of your writing goals and work count all month long!
Cackling Over Calendars
Don’t like my calendar? That’s okay! Try this one on for size! Humor helps pass the time! @hermiejr157 on DeviantArt designed this hilarious, quirky, and painfully true calendar that accurately describes NaNoWriMo for most writers!
“NaNoWriMo Desktop.” by @hermiejr157.
Worried About Writer’s Block?
Download my free NaNoWriMo writer’s block emergency kit!
NaNoWriMo Articles For Extra Inspiration & Motivation
Books To Read In Preparation Of NaNoWriMo!
The books shown above are:
Ready, Set, Novel!: A Workbook by Lindsey Grant and Chris Baty
You can find all of these and more on my Payton’s Picks Page
Build Or Join A Writing Community To Keep Each Other Accountable Throughout NaNoWriMo!
Social Media
Facebook Groups
Use NaNo Hashtags To Find NaNoWriMo-Related Content
Most social media out there allows you to post hashtags, and often up to at least 30 per post! You can comment even more hashtags on the post to increase visibility! Here are 50 different NaNoWriMo hashtags for you to use with your content!
#1667wordsaday
#amediting
#amwriting
#authorlife
#book
#bookish
#bookishthings
#booklove
#booklover
#booklovers
#bookstagram
#bookwormforlife
#bookworms
#characters
#creativewriting
#fantasy
#fiction
#fictionbooks
#iamawriter
#igbooks
#ilovewriting
#inktober
#inspiration
#instawrimo
#nanoprep
#nanowrimo
#nonfiction
#poetry
#preptober
#procrastination
#scrivener
#stylewriting
#wip
#write
#writer
#writerscommunity
#writerscorner
#writerslife
#writersofig
#writersofinsta
#writersofinstagram
#writing
#writingchallenge
#writingcommunity
#writingeveryday
#writinglife
#writingofig
#writingprompt
#yabooks
#yacontemporary
#yalit
Bibliography
Baty, Chris. No Plot? No Problem! Revised and Expanded Edition: A Low-stress, High-velocity Guide to Writing a Novel in 30 Days. California: Chronicle Books LLC, 2014. Amazon (Image and link).Faulkner , Grand. Pep Talks for Writers: 52 Insights and Actions to Boost Your Creative Mojo (Novel and Creative Writing Book, National Novel Writing Month NaNoWriMo Guide). California: Chronicle Books, 2017. Amazon (Image and link).Grant. Lindsey, and Chris Baty. Ready, Set, Novel!: A Workbook. California: Chronicle Books, 2011. Amazon (Image and link).hermiejr157. “NaNoWriMo Desktop” Deviantart post, November 4, 2008.McNulty, Bridget. “Writing a Novel in a Month: 10 Tips for Plotters and Pantsers.” Now Novel blog post, accessed October 18, 2022.NaNoWriMo. “NaNo Prep 101.” NaNoWriMo website, accessed October 18, 2022.NaNoWriMo. "NaNoWriMo Logo.” Image. Accessed October 18, 2022.NY Book Editors. “A First-Timer’s Guide to Prepping for NaNoWriMo.” Blog post, accessed October 18, 2022.Puglisi, Becca, and Angela Ackerman. The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Expression (Second Edition) (Writers Helping Writers Series Book 1). JADD Publishing, 2019. Amazon (Image and link).Raquel, Shayla. “100 Plot Ideas. “ Shaylaraquel.com blog post, October 16, 2022.Raquel, Shayla. “NaNoWriMo 2018 Novel Binder Printables.” Shaylaraquel.com blog post, September 30, 2022.Reedsy. “What is NaNoWriMo? And How to Win in 2022.” Reedsy blog post, October 5, 2020.Rittenberg, Ann, Laura Whitcomb, and Camille Goldin. Your First Novel Revised and Expanded Edition: A Top Agent and a Published Author Show You How to Write Your Book and Get It Published. Ohio: Writer's Digest Books, 2018. Amazon (Image and link).Scott Bell, James. Write Your Novel From The Middle: A New Approach for Plotters, Pantsers and Everyone in Between. London: Compendium Press, 1707. Amazon (Image and link).Steve. “Getting Ready for NaNoWriMo.” Storyist blog post, accessed October 18, 2022.Strawser, Jessica. “NaNoWriMo Advice: 30 Tips for Writing a Book in 30 Days.“ Writer’s Digest article, October 6, 2015.The Write Life Team. “How to Prepare for NaNoWriMo: Your 4-Week Success Plan.” The Write Life blog post, October 3, 2022.
Related Topics
Get Your FREE Story Binder Printables e-Book!Book Writing 101: How To Come Up With Great Book Ideas And What To Do With ThemBook Writing 101: How To Write A Book (The Basics)Book Writing 101: Starting Your Book In The Right PlaceBook Writing 101: How To Choose The Right POV For Your NovelBook Writing 101: How To Achieve Good Story PacingBook Writing 101: How To Name Your Book CharactersBook Writing 101: How to Develop and Write Compelling, Consistent CharactersBook Writing 101: Everything You Need To Know About DialogueInfo-Dumping in Science Fiction & Fantasy Novels by Breyonna JordanHow To Write Romance: Effective & Believable Love TrianglesHow To Write Romance: Enemies-To-Lovers Romance (That’s Satisfying and Realistic)How To Write Romance: 10 Heart-Warming and Heart-Wrenching Scenes for Your Romantic ThrillerHow To Write Romance: Believable Best Friends-To-LoversHow To Write Romance: The Perfect Meet CuteCheck out my other Book Writing 101 and How To Write Romance posts!Payton's Picks: The Best Books On Writing BooksManuscript Format Basics4 Of The Most Useful FREE Apps For Writers (2022)25 Strangely Useful Websites To Use For Research and Novel IdeasCheck out my other Book Writing 101 and How To Write Romance blog posts!
Recent Blog Posts
This blog post was researched, written, and published by a human author without the assistance of generative artificial intelligence (gen-AI). Gen-AI models are trained on text written by humans, therefore, the presence of specific punctuation, verbiage, tone, or predictable, marketing-style phrases alone are not sufficient indicators of gen-AI usage. I implore readers to use context clues, critical thinking, pattern recognition, research, and employ their best judgement when determining the validity of human authorship of print and digital media today. If you want to learn more about my stance on gen-AI and it’s role in media and the publishing industry, I plan to release a blog post on this topic very soon, so stay tuned for that. This disclaimer will be updated once that post goes live.
Book Writing 101: Everything You Need To Know About Dialogue
No matter what genre you write in, learning how to write dialogue effective is an essential part of any writer’s toolkit. Poorly-written dialogue can be distracting or worse —it could cause your readers to close the book in disgust. However, dialogue that is done well can transform your characters into truly believable people and you readers into satisfied, lifelong fans. Of course, the best kind of dialogue isn’t just believable conversation between characters. Good dialogue provide exposition, involves distinct language true to the voice of the speaker, and most importantly, helps move the story along. Dialogue is directly tied to pacing, plot, and tension, and can make or break your story just as much as lame characters or a sagging plot.
This guide is separated into three parts for your convenience — Dialogue Basics, Punctuating Dialogue, and Dialogue Tags —and is filled with cheat sheets, quick-reference-guides, examples, and more to help you with your writing!
This blog post was written by a human.Hi Readers and writerly friends!
This week in Freelancing, we’re discussing dialogue tags and how to properly format them. Consider this as your new intensive, all-encompassing guide for doing fictional dialogue well.
No matter what genre you write in, learning how to write dialogue effective is an essential part of any writer’s toolkit. Poorly-written dialogue can be distracting or worse —it could cause your readers to close the book in disgust. However, dialogue that is done well can transform your characters into truly believable people and you readers into satisfied, lifelong fans. Of course, the best kind of dialogue isn’t just believable conversation between characters. Good dialogue provide exposition, involves distinct language true to the voice of the speaker, and most importantly, helps move the story along. Dialogue is directly tied to pacing, plot, and tension, and can make or break your story just as much as lame characters or a sagging plot.
This guide is separated into three parts for your convenience: 1) Dialogue Basics, 2) Punctuating Dialogue, and 3) Dialogue Tags—and is filled with cheat sheets, quick-reference-guides, examples, and more to help you with your writing! (This post took me a long time to write, so if you found it helpful, please consider leaving a comment and sharing this with your writerly friends!)
Of course, this is just my own experience as well as examples of other writers who have done dialogue well, but this is by no means a rulebook for dialogue. I’m simply a proponent of the idea that if you know the rules of the writing world well, you can effectively break them well.
Dialogue Basics
Enter late, leave early.
If you’ve been around the writing world for a moment, you might have heard this phrase tossed about when discussing scenes, pacing, and dialogue. It’s a helpful saying for remembering to start a scene at just the right time instead of too early or too late.
Alfred Hitchcock once said that “drama is life with all the boring bits cut out.” Hinging on that, you could say that good dialogue is like a real conversation without all the fluff, and one of the best/easiest ways to cut out that boring fluff is to enter the conversation as late as possible.
Think about it: How many times have you heard someone in real life or in media say, “I hate small talk.” It is the same for your readers. They don’t want to be there for every single “Hi, how are you doing today?” or “I’m doing great, how are you? Thanks for asking. The weather is lovely, isn’t it?” This is a fine and good, but its not interesting dialogue, and it’s highly unlikely that this would move any story’s plot along in a meaningful way. The same goes for other kinds of small talk that usually occurs at the beginning and end of a scene. In order to avoid this kind of slow-paced dialogue, simply enter late and leave early.
Keep dialogue tags simple.
Dialogue tags are the phrases in writing that indicate who is speaking at any given time. “I want to write a book” Layla said. In this case, “I want to write a book” is the dialogue and “Layla said” is the tag. Of course, there are plenty of other dialogue tags you could use besides “said,” such as “stated,” “exclaimed,” or “declared” and so on. When writing dialogue, you generally should keep these elaborate tags to a minimum. Think of it this way, to the reader “said” is boring and simple, but its virtually invisible. Readers expect you to use “said” and because of this, it isn’t distracting to the reader.
Remember the KISS method —Keep It Simple, Sweetie? Remember that for dialogue tags. It’s always better to air on the side of caution than risk potentially distracting your reader with overly complicated, elaborate or convoluted dialogue tags.
As American novelist and screenwriter Elmore Leonard put it:
“Never use a verb other than ‘said’ to carry dialogue. The line of dialogue belongs to the character; the verb is the writer sticking his nose in. But ‘said’ is far less intrusive than ‘grumbled,’ ‘gasped,’ ‘cautioned,’ ‘lied’” (Leonard 2021).
“Intrusive” is the operative word here. You want to bring readers into your scene and make them feel like firsthand observers, like one of the characters in the background, without drawing attention to the fact that they’re reading a book. Wordy dialogue tags are a surefire way to yank your readers out of the immersion of a story and snap them back to reality. When you raid your thesaurus for fancy dialogue tags, you risk taking readers out of the scene for a fleeting display of your verbal virtuosity. This is true for any writing where you use convoluted language where you would be better served using simple language instead. If it serves a purpose to use uncommon or elaborate verbiage, then by all means, do so, but if its just for the sake of using big words, the practice of using “wordy” language is best avoided.
Additionally, in some instances, dialogue tags can be removed altogether. If there are only two or three people present in a conversation, dialogue tags aren’t always necessary to keep track of the speaker, especially if their voices are distinct convey a character’s personality to the reader.
Descriptive action beats are your friend.
Action beats are descriptions of the expressions, movements, or even internal thoughts that accompany the speaker’s words, and are included in the same paragraph as the dialogue to indicate that the person acting is the same person who is speaking. Action beats help illustrate what’s going on in a scene, and can even replace dialogue tags, avoiding the need for a long list of lines ending in “he said,” or “she said.”
Check out the fourth part of this guide for an example of how to use action beats to strengthen and vary your dialogue structure.
Character voices should be distinct.
Another key aspect of writing realistic and engaging dialogue is make each character sound distinctly like “themselves.” This employs the use of a number of different linguistic elements, such as syntax and diction, levels of energy and formality, humor, confidence, and any speech-related quirks (such as stuttering, lisping, or ending every sentence like it’s a question). Some of these elements may change depending on the circumstances of the conversation, and especially when it comes to whom each person is speaking, but no matter what, there should always be an underlying current of personality that helps the reader identify each speaker.
Example: Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
In the very first piece of dialogue in Pride and Prejudice, readers encounter Mrs and Mr. Bennet, the former of whom is attempting to draw her husband, the latter, into a conversation of neighborhood gossip.
“My dear Mr. Bennet,” said his lady to him one day, “have you heard that Netherfield Park is let at last?”
Mr. Bennet replied that he had not.
“But it is,” returned she; “for Mrs. Long has just been here, and she told me all about it.”
Mr. Bennet made no answer.
“Do you not want to know who has taken it?” cried his wife impatiently.
“You want to tell me, and I have no objection to hearing it.”
This was invitation enough.
“Why, my dear, you must know, Mrs. Long says that Netherfield is taken by a young man of large fortune from the north of England; that he came down on Monday in a chaise and four to see the place, and was so much delighted with it, that he agreed with Mr. Morris immediately; that he is to take possession before Michaelmas, and some of his servants are to be in the house by the end of next week.” (Austen 2002)
Austen’s dialogue is always witty, subtle, and packed with character and is never simple or convoluted. Readers instantly learn everything they need to know about the dynamic between Mr. and Mrs. Bennet from their first interaction: she’s chatty, and he’s the beleaguered listener who has learned to entertain her idle gossip.
Develop character relationships.
Dialogue is an excellent tool to demonstrate and develop character relationships throughout your story. Good dialogue establishes relationships, but great dialogue adds new, engaging layers of complexity to them.
One of the best ways to ensure your character’s dialogue reflects their personalities and relationships is to practice some dialogue writing exercises. It’s likely that you won’t actually end up using the products of these exercises in your writing, but they’re an easy, low-pressure way to practice developing your characters and their relationships to one another.
For this kind of practice, I’ve found that exercises like “What Did You Say?” are particularly helpful.
Pretend three of your characters have won the lottery. How does each character reveal the big news to their closest friend? Write out their dialogue with unique word choice, tone, and body language in mind.
If the lottery isn’t interesting enough, consider changing things up. Maybe three of your characters have a role to play in a murder investigation. Each one knows a different take on what happened. Lottery or murder investigation aside, developing your character’s relationship will teach you more about your characters themselves, their stories and circumstances, and how to write dialogue that best fits within that framework.
Find similar exercises here.
Developing character relationships alongside and through dialogue is an excellent opportunity to work on both simultaneously. In this exercise, there are a number of characteristics that will affect how each character perceives and delivers the news that they’ve won the lottery (or that they’ve been involved in a murder investigation).
These characteristics might include whether a character:
Is confident and outgoing vs. shy and reserved
Takes things in a lighthearted manner rather than being too serious
Has lofty personal aspirations or doesn’t
Couldn’t care less or wants to help others
Thinks they deserve good things or not
Carefully consider each of your characters and which of these categories they fall into. This should help you determine how they all relate and react to each other in the context of such news.
Show, don’t tell.
We’ve all heard this slice of writing advice, probably more times than we can count, but it’s for good reason. Much like the “enter late, leave early” saying, you’ve probably seen or heard this phrase making rounds throughout the writing world. It’s a sliver of advice that creatives like to use as a buzz phrase in writing communities, but there may be a golden nugget of wisdom to be found in it.
Readers enjoy making inferences based on the clues the author provides, so don’t just lay everything out on the table. This doesn’t mean be cryptic —on the contrary. It basically means you should imply information rather than outright stating it.
Take the dialogue below for example. Even if this is the first instance the reader encounters of Jones and Walker, its easy to deduce that they are police officers who used to work together, that they refer to each other by their last names, and that Jones misses Walker — and possibly wants him to come back, despite Walker’s intentions to stay away.
Hey, Jones. Long time no see.”
“Heh, Yeah, Walker, tell me about it. The precinct isn’t the same without you.”
“Well, you know I had good reason for leaving.”
“I do. But I also thought you might change your mind.”
However, cloaking this information in dialogue is a lot more interesting than the narrator simply saying, “Jones and Walker used to work together on the force. Walker left after a grisly murder case, but now Jones needs his help to solve another.”
Of course, sometimes dialogue is a good vehicle for literally telling — for instance, at the beginning or end of a story, it can be used for exposition or to reveal something dramatic, such as a villain’s scheme. But for the most part, dialogue should show rather than tell in order to keep readers intrigued, constantly trying to figure out what it means.
Bounce quickly back and forth.
When writing dialogue, it’s also important to bounce quicky back and forth between speakers, like in a tennis match. Consider the ping-pong pace of this conversation between an unnamed man and a girl named Jig, from Hemingway's short story, "Hills Like White Elephants".
It might seem simple or obvious, but this rule can be an easy one to forget when one speaker is saying something important. The other person in the conversation still needs to respond. Likewise, a way to effectively break this rule is to intentionally omit the other character’s response altogether if the plot warrants it. Sometimes, leaving the other character shocked proves to be just as effective on the reader.
On the other hand, you don’t want lengthy, convoluted monologues unless its specifically intended and needed to drive the plot forward. Take a close look at your dialogue to ensure there aren’t any long, unbroken blocks of text as these typically indicate lengthy monologues and are easily fixed by inserting questions, comments, and other brief interludes from fellow speakers.
Alternately, you can always break it up using small bits of action and description, or with standard paragraph breaks, if there’s a scene wherein you feel a lengthy monologue is warranted.
Try reading your dialogue out loud.
It can be tricky to spot weak dialogue when reading it on the page or a computer screen, but by reading out loud, we can get a better idea of the quality of our dialogue. Is it sonically true to the characters’ distinct voices? Is it complex and interesting, conveying quirks and personality beyond plot? Does it help drive the plot in a meaningful way or is dialogue being used to fill space? If it is the latter, it should be removed, but more on that next.
For instance, is your dialogue clunky or awkward? Does it make you cringe to hear it read aloud? Do your jokes not quite land? Does one of your characters speak for an unusually long amount of time that you hadn’t noticed before, or does their distinct "voice" sound inconsistent in one scene? All of these problems and more can be addressed by simply reading your dialogue out loud.
Don’t take my word for it, take John Steinbeck’s! He once recommended this very strategy in a letter to actor Robert Wallston: “If you are using dialogue, say it aloud as you write it. Only then will it have the sound of speech.”
Remove unnecessary dialogue.
Dialogue is just one tool in the writer’s toolbox and while it’s a useful and essential storytelling element, you don’t have to keep all of the dialogue you write in your first or second drafts. Pick and choose which techniques best tell your story and present the interior life of your characters. This could mean using a great deal of dialogue in your writing, or it might not. Carefully consider your story and the characters and whether or not it makes sense for them to have dialogue between one another in any given scene. Just because dialogue can be brilliant, doesn’t mean it’s always integral to a scene, so feel free to cut it as needed.
Format and punctuate your dialogue properly.
Proper formatting and punctuation of your dialogue makes your story clear and understandable. Nothing is more distracting or disorienting within a story than poorly formatted or improperly punctuated dialogue —well, except for an excess of wordy dialogue tags instead of “said,” but I digress! Likewise, knowing when to use quotation marks, where to put commas, full stops, question marks, hyphens, and dashes will make your text look polished and professional to agents and publishers.
How to format dialogue:
Indent each new line of dialogue.
Put quotation marks around the speech itself.
Punctuation that affects the speech’s tone goes inside the quotation marks.
If you quote within a quote, use single rather than double quotation marks.
If you break up a line of dialogue with a tag (e.g. “she said”), put a comma after the tag. However, if you put a tag in between two complete sentences, use a period.
Speaking of tags, you don’t always need them, as long as the speaker is implied.
If you start with a tag, capitalize the first word of dialogue.
Avoid these major dialogue mistakes.
Tighten up your pacing and strengthen your dialogue by avoiding these common dialogue issues. Although the differences in some of these examples are subtle word choice, usage frequency, and arrangement play a big part in dialogue delivery. Consider how these small changes can make a big difference in your writing.
Too many dialogue tags
As you might have guessed, the most contradictory advice you can receive and most egregious errors you can make when writing dialogue have to do with dialogue tags. Do use them. Don’t use them. Don’t use “said.” Do use “said.” Do use interesting tags. Don’t use too elaborate tags. How does the lowly writer win?
Consider this: good storytelling is a delicate balance between showing and telling: action and narrative. So, how does one do dialogue well? Craft and maintain a sustainable balance between action and narrative within your story. I can’t tell you when and when not to use elaborate dialogue tags or when to cut tags out altogether, but I can suggest that when you examine your dialogue, keep this idea in mind and consider it when you sense the balance of action and narrative has skewed slightly (or dramatically) to one side or the other.
Constantly repeating “he said,” “she said,” and so on, is boring and repetitive for your readers, as you can see here:
So, keep in mind that you can often omit dialogue tags if you’ve already established the speakers, like so:
One can tell from the action beats, as well as the fact that it’s a two-person back-and-forth conversation, which lines belong to which speaker. Dialogue tags can just distract from the conversation — although if you did want to use them, “said” would still be better than fancy tags like “declared” or “effused.”
Lack of structural variety
Much like the “too many tags” issue is the lack of structural variety that can sometimes arise in dialogue. It’s an issue that most commonly presents itself in narrative but can occur in dialogue as well. Not sure what I’m talking about? Take a look at these sections again:
Now, action beats are great, but here they’re used repeatedly in exactly the same way — first the dialogue, then the beat — which looks odd and unnatural on the page. Indeed, any recurrent structure like this (which also includes putting dialogue tags in the same place every time) should be avoided.
Luckily, it’s easy to rework repetitive structure into something much more lively and organic, just by shifting around some of the action beats and tags:
Another common dialogue mistake is restating the obvious — i.e. information that either the characters themselves or the reader already knows.
For example, say you want to introduce two brothers, so you write the following exchange:
This exchange is clearly awkward and a bit ridiculous, since the characters obviously know how old they are. What’s worse, it insults the reader’s intelligence — even if they didn’t already know that Sherri and Kerri were thirty-five-year-old, twin sisters, they wouldn’t appreciate being spoon-fed like this.
If you wanted to convey the same information in a subtler way, you might write it like:
This makes the dialogue more about Indiana Jones than the brothers’ age, sneaking in the info so readers can figure it out for themselves.
Unrealistic smooth-talking and clichés
In your quests to craft smooth-sounding dialogue, don’t make it flow so smoothly that it sounds fake. Unfortunately, this is a weak point of sounding your dialogue out aloud because even though it may sound good, it may not sound believable. Consider reading dialogue with a friend or critique partner to see if it sounds believable coming from someone else. If it doesn’t sound any better read by your friend, it might be an indicator that your dialogue needs some work. It can also be helpful to record dialogue (with the participants’ permission, of course) and study it for natural speech patterns and phrases. (Feel free to leave out any excess “um”s and “er”s that typically accompany authentic dialogue.) Authentic-sounding written dialogue reflects real life speech.
Likewise, you should steer clear of clichés in your dialogue as much as in the rest of your writing. While it’s certainly true that people sometimes speak in clichés (though this is often tongue-in-cheek), if you find yourself writing the phrase “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” or “Shut up and kiss me,” you may need a reality check.
For a full roster of dialogue clichés, check out this super-helpful list from Scott Myers.
Disregarding dialogue completely
Finally, the worst mistake you can make when writing dialogue is… well, not writing it in the first place! Circling back to one of the first points made in this guide, dialogue is an integral part of storytelling. It’s an important element in any story, no matter the genre because it provides exposition, indicates, personality, and character relationships, and can even be used to reveal a major plot twist during the climax.
So, what do you think of this guide? I will be adding to it periodically, so make sure to bookmark it and join my newsletter to get notifications when updates go live! Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
Bibliography
Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. London: Penguin Books, 2002. Amazon.Du Preez, Priscilla. “sihouette of three people sitting on cliff under foggy weather photo.” Unsplash photo (Thumbnail photo), March 5, 2019.Leonard, Elmore. “Elmore Leonard: 10 Rules Of Writing.” Fs blog post, accessed June 27, 2021.Myers, Scott. “The Definitive List of Cliché Dialogue.” Medium article, March 8, 2012.Reedsy. “A Dialogue Writing Exercise.” Reedsy blog post, accessed June 27, 2021.
Related Topics
Get Your FREE Story Binder Printables e-Book!Book Writing 101: How To Come Up With Great Book Ideas And What To Do With ThemBook Writing 101: How To Write A Book (The Basics)Book Writing 101: Starting Your Book In The Right PlaceBook Writing 101: How To Choose The Right POV For Your NovelBook Writing 101: How To Achieve Good Story PacingBook Writing 101: How To Name Your Book CharactersBook Writing 101: How to Develop and Write Compelling, Consistent CharactersInfo-Dumping in Science Fiction & Fantasy Novels by Breyonna JordanHow To Write Romance: Effective & Believable Love TrianglesHow To Write Romance: Enemies-To-Lovers Romance (That’s Satisfying and Realistic)How To Write Romance: 10 Heart-Warming and Heart-Wrenching Scenes for Your Romantic ThrillerHow To Write Romance: Believable Best Friends-To-LoversHow To Write Romance: The Perfect Meet CuteCheck out my other Book Writing 101 and How To Write Romance blog posts!Check out more of my Author Advice and Writing Advice blog posts!
Recent Blog Posts
This blog post was researched, written, and published by a human author without the assistance of generative artificial intelligence (gen-AI). Gen-AI models are trained on text written by humans, therefore, the presence of specific punctuation, verbiage, tone, or predictable, marketing-style phrases alone are not sufficient indicators of gen-AI usage. I implore readers to use context clues, critical thinking, pattern recognition, research, and employ their best judgement when determining the validity of human authorship of print and digital media today. If you want to learn more about my stance on gen-AI and it’s role in media and the publishing industry, I plan to release a blog post on this topic very soon, so stay tuned for that. This disclaimer will be updated once that post goes live. In the meantime, I will continue to be transparent about which tools and resources I use in my work.
Book Writing 101: How To Achieve Good Story Pacing
In literature, pace, or pacing is the speed at which a story is told—not necessarily the speed at which the story takes place. The pace is determined by the length of the scenes, how fast the action moves, and how quickly the reader is provided with information.
Pacing is an element of storytelling that seems to trip up many new writers. It can be hard to pin down. What is a good pacing for a story? Well, to get a better idea of good story pacing, we have to look at bad story pacing first.
Freytag’s Pyramid from Serious Daring by Lisa Roney. Photo by Payton Hayes.
This blog post was written by a human.Hi readers and writerly friends!
This week in the Freelancing category, we’re continuing the Book Writing 101 series with our third post—how to achieve good story pacing. If you’re looking for the rest of the series, it will be linked at the end of the blog post!
What is pacing?
In literature, pace, or pacing is the speed at which a story is told —not necessarily the speed at which the story takes place. The pace is determined by the length of the scenes, how fast the action moves, and how quickly the reader is provided with information. Story pacing is the momentum of the story and it’s what keeps readers turning pages.
Why does pacing matter in storytelling?
Pacing is an element of storytelling that seems to trip up many new writers. It can be hard to pin down. What is a good pacing for a story? Well, to get a better idea of good story pacing, we have to look at bad story pacing first.
Pacing is also tension. It’s how you build out the rising and falling action of your scenes. When I reference “action” in this blog post, rising and falling action is what I am talking about. This may be literal action scenes, conflict, events, plot points and pinch points, and other peaks and valleys of plot.
If you read my blog post about where to start your novel, then you might remember this next bit. That post (linked at the end of this blog post) is specifically for starting a book, but it serves as a great reminder for starting/ending you scenes and chapters as well.
Pacing is also how you enter and leave scenes and chapters. It’s how you open a scene and keep the momentum all the way through to the “turning point” of that scene or chapter. It’s how you close that scene/chapter and lead into the next one. Think about the “enter late, leave early” rule when trying to achieve goo pacing within your story, and how events in your story drive the plot forward.
What constitutes bad story pacing?
This usually occurs when a story is told at a pace or speed that is either just too fast or too slow for the plot and the events that happen within the story. Story pacing that is just too fast almost gives the reader narrative whiplash in that, everything is being presented so quickly that the reader just can’t seem to keep up and is lost in confusion. Story pacing that is just to slow usually ends up boring the reader and making it hard for him or her to stay motivated to finish the book.
Story pacing really has more to do with the amount of information being presented and the intervals at which it is being presented. Books that have too-fast story pacing often just bombard the reader with information faster than they can process it. For example, a thriller writer may leave things out of the story in an attempt to build intrigue but as the plot progresses, the reader will be come increasingly more confused. In fantasy, too-fast pacing usually arises when the writer drops in a ton of names in rapid succession without really giving the readers time to orient themselves.
However, on the flip side, too-slow pacing can arise in fantasy in much the same way as well. Taking entirely way too long to establish backstory or info-dumping is a great way to slow the story down and bore the reader. And truthfully, this isn’t unique to fantasy; this issue can manifest itself this way in all genres.
Pacing that is too fast: Too much information is presented too often.
Pacing that is too slow: Not enough action is presented often enough.
I know, it looks like I said the same thing twice, only slightly changed—I did.
But in essence, good story pacing is all about balance.
Even seasoned writers struggle to strike the very delicate balance between action and information. What’s worse than a plot twist that comes out of left field? A plot twist that’s more like a straight line than a twist at all. That is to say, the reader could see it coming from a mile away, or due to weak pacing, the world-shattering revelation misses it’s mark and the author’s impact is completely lost on the reader.
Ultimately, to achieve good story pacing is to tell the story in such a way that plot points are reached and key information is revealed at a satisfying and sensible pace.
Identifying pacing issues with word count
This might only be useful if for writers who have critique groups, agents, or editors but essentially, you can identify bad pacing by looking at the word count of a novel. If your editor says “the word count is too low for your genre” then they’re essentially saying, your pacing is too fast, and you’ve not spent enough time building out the story and included too much action. If your editor says “the word count is too high for your genre” then they’re saying your pacing is too slow, and you’ve spent too much time building out the story and not including enough action.
Sentence structure can make or break pacing
Another obvious, concrete clue that your pacing could be off is the way sentences, dialogue, and paragraphs are aesthetically arranged on the page. Think long, drawn-out, convoluted sentences, wordy paragraphs, big, pretentions words, overly-descriptive, adjective-dense, purple pose, a lack of variation in sentence structure, and crowded or skeletal dialogue. These story elements are often easy to overlook, and trying to strike that balance as an afterthought can certainly kill your pacing. Take this paragraph as a meta example. The second sentence commits the very crime that the third sentence calls out.
Think about these things and keep in mind that if it doesn’t add to the writing style, voice, tone or drive the plot, then you don’t need it. Characterization should be dropped in here and there, and not done in page-long descriptions with wordy backstory. Big words and extensive (and often archaic) vocabulary should only be used if it makes sense for the voice, tone, genre, setting, and narrator of the story.
This issue is ubiquitous with academic writing, where some students try to fill their essays with pedantic fluff to reach word count minimums and others just enjoy hearing themselves talk—or reading their own words, rather. Save the filibustering for the Senate.
This doesn’t mean that shorter and more direct sentences are key either. Short, choppy, staccato-like sentences with little variation can undercut tension or mood because they give the reader little time to immerse themselves in description, emotion, or context. Like I said, it’s all about balance. The secret to achieve this balance and good story pacing is varied sentence structure. Look at the Examples below.
Example #1: Short Sentences (~1-8 words)
Use Case: Action and combat scenes, suspenseful transitions, dramatic moments.
Bad: He ran. He stopped. He looked. He panicked. (too choppy, monotone)
Good: He froze, pinned to the spot. Footsteps drew nearer. His pulse quickened. Surely the killer could hear his heart hammering away in his chest. He needed to catch his breath. He also needed to escape. (punchy, dramatic, builds tension)
Effect On Pacing: Speeds up action; creates tension; reads as abrupt or punchy.
This sentence structure is great for scenes that need to move quickly. Naturally, the shorter the sentence, the easier and faster it is for the reader to move through the text. Overuse results in flat, boring, and emotionally-disconnected scenes. This structure is best used when the reader has already made an emotional connection to the characters in the story and the stakes are higher.
Example #2: Medium Sentences (~ 9-20 words)
Use Case: Versatile, used in most narrative passages, dialogue, in between action and revelation (can be used for these situations too).
Bad: N/A. Medium sentences are rarely bad, so long as word choice, word count, punctuation, and clauses are balanced.
Good: The wind groaned through the trees, as she made her way home, a bittersweet feeling settling in her chest.
Effect On Pacing: Smooth, natural rhythm; balanced pacing.
This sentence structure is most common in any published work, and it’s typically comprises the majority of a text. It’s the middle ground for sentence structure, tucked neatly between short, choppy sentences, and long, complex sentences. I like to think of it like the Goldilocks Effect: medium sentences are just right.
Example #3: Long / Complex Sentences (21+ words)
Use Case: Descriptive scenes, internal monologue, world-building.
Bad: Running down the narrow, cobblestoned street that wound unpredictably between the dimly lit shops whose windows reflected shadows of passersby who themselves seemed unsure of which way to go, he tried desperately to remember the route that would lead him safely back to the square. (too convoluted)
Good: Walking down the narrow, cobblestoned street, he remembered the stories his grandmother told about the town, imagining the faces of people long gone.
Effect On Pacing: Slows pacing; allows description, reflection, inner thoughts, (lowers tension back to or below baseline, to rise again later on).
This sentence structure is most common to fantasy and science fiction, where readers expect lore drops frequently but not excessively. These longer sentences can also appear in scenes where there is little or no dialogue.
Story structure can help you with pacing
Much like sentence structure, story structure can be a great way to determine the pacing of your story and where you might be doing really well in terms of tension and pacing and where your story might be sagging a little. The 3-Act Story Structure is just one example.
I think a lot of writers have a hard time with pacing because many of us grew up learning about the 5 elements of plot with a very set-in-stone triangular structure, but I like to think of plot as more of a bell curve. In the graphics below, you’ll see the 5 Elements of Plot (based on Freytag’s Pyramid) versus the Plot Bell Curve (based on the 3 Act-Story Structure) and how pacing looks with each of these story structuring methods.
The issue with the Elements of Plot is that this structure allows entirely too much time to pass between major plot points. This is where many writers’ issues with the “sagging middle” originate from. Look at the bell curve, where tension is kept evenly from plot point to plot point. Instead of a terribly slow and steady incline, the rising action builds tension right from the inciting incident and falling action slows tension from the midpoint to the confrontation.
Story pacing is the momentum of the story and it’s what keeps readers turning pages. Good story pacing is achieved when on a macro level, story structure is balanced and varied, and on a micro level, sentence structure is balanced and varied. When action and information are evenly balanced with emotion and tension, your story’s plot points land with their intended impact.
If your aim is strong story pacing keep the 3 P’s of Pacing in mind: Purpose, People, Points.
Purpose = What is the purpose of the scene? What is happening? Is it more of an information-heavy scene (such as characterization) or is it an action-heavy scene (high tension)?
People = Which characters are involved in this scene? Do they mention other characters not present? What relationship dynamics are at play between these characters in this scene?
Points/Progression = Where is Point A? Where is Point B (both literally and figuratively)? How does this scene effectively bring the story and the reader from Point A to Point B, in terms of plot points, characterization, and story progression?
If you know your scene’s Purpose and which People are involved in the scene, you can then narrow in on the scene’s plot Points and evaluate the scene’s narrative Progression.
Here’s the Cliff’s Notes:
Variety is vital: Mix short, medium, and long sentences to create rhythm.
Match sentence length to emotion and tension: Short for speed, long for reflection.
Avoid extremes in isolation: Too many short sentences makes for choppy, rushed pacing and too many long sentences results in sluggish, verbose pacing.
TL;DR: Varied sentence structure & story structure + balance of action and narration aligned with tension and emotion = good story pacing.
And that’s how to achieve good story pacing. I hope this post helped you and if it did, make sure to comment below to let me know! You can also check out the other blog posts in my Book Writing 101 series!
Bibliography
Hayes, Payton. “Freytag’s Pyramid from Serious Daring by Lisa Roney.”(Thumbnail Photo) January 8, 2021.
Hayes, Payton. “5 Elements of Plot #1” (Graphic) January 8, 2021.
Hayes, Payton. “5 Elements of Plot #2” (Graphic) January 8, 2021.
Hayes, Payton. “Plot Bell Curve #1” (Graphic) January 8, 2021.
Hayes, Payton. “Plot Bell Curve #2” (Graphic) January 8, 2021.
Related Topics
Book Writing 101: How To Write A Book (Basics)Book Writing 101: Coming Up With Book Ideas And What To Do With ThemBook Writing 101: Starting Your Book In The Right PlaceBook Writing 101: How To Chose The Right POV For Your NovelBook Writing 101: How To Name Your Book CharactersBook Writing 101: Everything You Need To Know About DialogueBook Writing 101: How to Develop and Write Compelling, Consistent CharactersStory Binder Printables (Includes Character Sheets, Timelines, World-Building Worksheets and More!)Payton’s Picks —40+ of my favorite helpful books on writing and editing.25 Strangely Useful Websites To Use For Research and Novel IdeasSee all posts in the Freelancing category.See all posts in the Book Writing 101 series.
Recent Blog Posts
This blog post was researched, written, and published by a human author without the assistance of generative artificial intelligence (gen-AI). Gen-AI models are trained on text written by humans, therefore, the presence of specific punctuation, verbiage, tone, or predictable, marketing-style phrases alone are not sufficient indicators of gen-AI usage. I implore readers to use context clues, critical thinking, pattern recognition, research, and employ their best judgement when determining the validity of human authorship of print and digital media today. If you want to learn more about my stance on gen-AI and it’s role in media and the publishing industry, I plan to release a blog post on this topic very soon, so stay tuned for that. This disclaimer will be updated once that post goes live. In the meantime, I will continue to be transparent about which tools and resources I use in my work.
Book Writing 101: How To Write A Book (The Basics)
This blog is written by a humanHi readers and writerly friends!
This week in Freelancing, we’re going to start a new series: Writing How To’s and today, we’re starting off strong with what is essentially Book Writing 101 —how to write a book. We talk an awful lot about editing, writing, publishing, marketing, and everything in between but we’re going to be bringing it right on back to the basics. How do you actually write a book? It’s a badge of honor for some and a checkbox for others, but one thing is certain: writing a book is not easy. It’s a feat of strength, really. It requires a lot of planning, months and even years of writing, and dedication from start to finish.
There’s really no set way to write a from the first word to the last. The truth is, the writing process varies from writer to writer. In this guide, I will explain the basics of writing a book and a general order to follow, but of course, experiment, try different methods and figure out what works for you!
So, how do you actually write a book? What goes into it?
Research, brainstorm, and come up with an idea
Think about what you might like to read and or write about and even look up what is selling in that genre. For instance, if I want to write a murder mystery for young adults, I might check out some of the popular books that are out at the time and see what the hype is about for myself. Reading is a great way to improve your own writing and familiarizing yourself with your desired genre will only help you.
I will have a more in-depth post for this next week when we cover book brainstorming, but essentially, you want to try and come up with a compelling premise that you can write roughly 50,000-75,000 words around, depending on your genre. Don’t get too bogged down by the word count, right out of the gate; this is just a simple guideline to shoot for. So, do some brainstorming and see if you can come up with an idea that will yield roughly 50,000 words. If you don’t think you can stretch your story idea to book length, consider writing it as a short story or a novella instead. If you believe you do have a solid story idea and you think you can write an entire book from it, consider if your idea is somewhat original. Of course, none of us are out here doing new things under the sun per se, but you can put a new spin on old ideas and resurrect dead story tropes by breathing new life into them with your unique voice, writing style, and twist on clichés.
Establish your prevailing theme and subthemes
I wish someone would have given me this advice when I started out writing. It’s one thing to come up with a premise and a plot, but themes are the driving force in a story and every good story has at least one important theme at its core. Consider your story idea and what the main theme of it is so you can write that into your outline in the next step.
Writer taking notes. Photo by lilartsy.
Outline/Develop your plot
Some people prefer to plan out their novel with an outline while others enjoy writing as they go. I used to be the kind of person who would just write as I went and often my story would become jumbled and confused as the consistency slowly melted away. Now, I sit down with a firm outline and I know exactly where the story is going start to finish, even if I jump around and write out of order. Even if you prefer not to get to crazy with the outlining, I would at least suggest outlining the key plot points according to the 3-Act Story Structure. This is a tried and true plot outline that is present in almost all successful works of writing and if you only used this to outline your novel, it will make all the difference in your consistency. That being said, if you’d like to try the pantser route as opposed to the planner route, you can try writing freely and taking some notes as you go, to try out the alternative process and see how it works for you. A pantser is someone who, “flies by the seat of their pants,” meaning they don't plan out anything, or plan very little. For some writers, the thrill of telling themselves the story as they write it is part of their creative process and what making writing fun for them. If you do decide to go the pantser route, I would suggest that you come up with at least a vague idea for how you want the novel to start and end and then plant yourself somewhere in the middle and write from there. Instead of going from point A to point B to point C, you’re considering point A and point C while you write point B and then connecting them all as you go. At the end of the day, find out what works for you and stick with it.
Develop your characters
As mentioned previously, there’s really no set order to follow when writing a book. For some, the characters are what sparks the inspiration for a novel idea, whilst for others, the premise or the theme inspires characters along the way. Either way, you must have a clear idea of who your characters are and what they are like when writing a book. Characters are the lens through which the story is told and writers must create compelling characters for their readers to connect to while reading. Consider your main character(s), supporting characters, antagonists, and background characters as well. Think about how they will come into play with one another to drive the plot, how their unique personalities both move them forward and backward in their goals, and how it makes sense within the realm of your premise, theme, and genre. Put simply, who is your main character, who is getting in that character’s way, and does it make sense with your story idea?
I have an in-depth blog post for How To Write Compelling Consistent Characters here, so make sure to check that out if you want to know more!
Establish the setting
Book with a view. Photo by Kourosh Qaffari.
Piggybacking on the idea that the story idea can come from anywhere, sometimes, establishing the setting is the first step in the process. Try to imagine all kinds of different terrains and zones and see what stories emerge from these places. I got the idea for my short story, The Sieka of Sahn’Jatar when imagining a vast desert in the greater setting of my ongoing fantasy series. I was just imagining the windswept sand dunes one day and the idea struck me. Suddenly, it wasn’t just a desert I was seeing —no, it was a girl dashing through the dunes, being chased by a warband mounted atop camels against the backdrop of the setting sun. Its crazy how stories can just come to us like that.
So, if you’ve already got your story idea in mind and don’t really need the setting for inspiration, consider where you want to set the story. Consider whether or not worldbuilding is something you’d like to do, or how realistic you want your story’s setting to be. Sometimes, the setting can even be a character all on it’s own, depending on how much of a role it plays within your novel. If you’re writing realistically, do you research, look at maps, and if you can visit the place you’re writing about, so you can write it accurately.
Break out the writing tools
Now, I know what you’re thinking —Payton, what writing tools do I need? I have a laptop.
And you’re totally right. While some people do enjoy writing their first draft longhand with pen and paper, most of us write digitally. However, I’m not just talking about the physical writing implement; I’m talking about you’re writing environment, your word processor (the program you physically write with), your writerly resources, and more.
For starters, where do you write? Do you write at home, locked in your bedroom with a tea and mood music? Or do you prefer to write at your favorite coffee shop with your trust headphones and a croissant nearby? Think about where you can get your best writing done and make it happen.
On that note, I have a helpful blog post on 8 Ways to Level Up Your Workspace And Elevate Your Productivity. It’s really more geared for freelancers and those working from home during the pandemic, but I think it has some great information on how to tailor a space that is both comfortable to work in and also is conducive to productivity.
Next, what kind of word processor will you use to write your novel? Do you use Mac or Windows? If you’re a Mac user, you might want to use Pages, but if you’re a Windows user, you might want to use Microsoft Word. (I think you can use MS Word for both, but that’s besides the point!) If you’d rather keep all of your writing in the cloud, maybe Google Docs is better for you. Perhaps none of these options sound quite right so here are a few more to check out: Scrivener, Apache OpenOffice, LibreOffice Writer, or Word Perfect. There are many others out there, so make sure to try them out and see what works best for you and your writing needs.
Following the word processor, the next tool you will need in your writerly toolkit is a note keeping system of some sort. I hear many people use Scrivener, Notion, or Evernote for keeping their novel notes organized and in one central location. If you’d rather keep the notes tactile and not in the digital realm, consider using a Story Binder to keep all of your hand-written story notes safe and organized.
Next, figure out what other real-world items you’re going to need when you sit down to write your novel. Of course, this might be a figure-it-out-as-you-go-along kind of thing. I personally always need some kind of soft music in the background while I write to help keep me in the headspace of my story. I have a blog post on Get Immersed With The Five Senses, but I think it’s also applicable to writing because it can help you stay de-stressed and inspired throughout the process. Likewise, I highly recommend you make a playlist for your novel so you (and your future readers) can get into the right headspace for your story as easily as clicking play. Additionally, consider what snacks, drinks, and other items you might need to write effectively. I’ve also linked my Yoga For Writers post here, just in case you need a little writing break.
Lastly, prepare your accountability tools. This could be a writing partner, a critique group, your editor, a friend, or even a writing schedule. If you know you will need some external accountability source to keep you writing on the days when it gets tough, then get that ready well before you sit down to write. Consider joining a writing group online if you are having trouble finding a writing community in your area. Maybe NaNoWriMo is just the thing you need to keep the forward momentum going in your writing. Whatever you decide to use, have that accountability crutch ready beforehand so you can lean on it when you need to.
Create a writing schedule
This might be the single most important step in your entire writing career because if you don’t establish a habit of writing regularly, it might not bode well for you as a writer. However, it is likely also the hardest step in writing a novel, because many writers struggle to find the time to write. The truth is that if you want to write, you have to make the time to write. This is a special, designated time where you sit down and write, for however much time or however many words you decide and you do this consistently to progress your project and better your writing skill.
Writer planning her schedule. Photo by Marissa Grootes.
If you can, write every day. Some writers will tell you that you absolutely must write every day, while others will advise writing once a week. If you can, try to write a little every day, and if that’s just not possible for you and your schedule, try to write as often as you can. Don’t use being busy as an excuse for not writing. Ultimately your writing, your writing career, and your novel’s success is on you, and if its truly important to you, then make it a priority in your life. Writing is just like anything else in life that requires exercising a skill and practice. You must work your writing muscles to improve your writing in the same way you have to work your upper arms to get better at push-ups.
Like with the writing space, you can use the 5 senses to trigger yourself into what I like to call “writing mode.” This is the headspace you get in when you write, and it becomes easier and easier to trigger this mindset shift with time and practice. It’s a lot like Pavlov’s dog, in that, with time, effort, and practice, you will subconsciously train your brain to expect that when it’s writing time, you will sit down and write and nothing will get in the way of that. For example, as mentioned, I like to have tea and music when I write. For some, that might be a certain candle or aromatherapy or dimming the lights in your writing space. I personally like to set an alarm for my designated writing time and the alarm itself is actually the music that I listen to while writing. This immediately gets me in the mood for writing and like the dog mentioned earlier, drooling for some black tea.
There are many ways to make writing a habit for yourself and while it will take some self-discipline and patience at first, it certainly is doable. You could even use a incentives or a rewards system top keep you motivated to write. Whatever you decide works for you, just make sure that you are writing regularly and making consistent strides to better your craft and make progress on your projects. Th reason a writing schedule is so crucial to the writing process is because writers will have to learn to push through when the writing process becomes difficult. We can’t always write just when we want to or wait, twiddling our thumbs for the creative spirit to strike us. It is great when we have those moments for sure, but the reality is that most days, writing is hard. There’s going to be so many moments when writing is difficult and you won’t feel like writing, but if you’ve created the schedule and the habit, you’ll write anyway. Writing when it’s hard, or when you don’t feel like it, or when the words just won’t flow is what enables you to push through, finish the book, and accomplish your goals.
On a similar note, don’t try to force yourself into a box or create unrealistic expectations for your writing habits. If you work two jobs and are a mother of three, it might not be realistic to expect yourself to sit down and write for four hours out of the day. Many people recommend writing first thing in the morning, but if you’re not a morning person, this simply will not work for you.
I’m raising my hand over here. I’m actually a night-writer and I prefer to write during the ungodly hours of the night, but I can see how that is an unrealistic schedule for many writers who have day jobs. The point is, just go with what feels right with you and what fits feasibly and realistically into your schedule.
Set realistic goals and a deadline
Of course, this ties in with your writing schedule, finding what works for you, and building the writing habit, but having something to work towards can really help you when you’re first starting out with writing. Having loose, but clear goals can help you plan your writing schedule and celebrate milestones as you encounter them. This will also help you in breaking down the daunting process of writing an entire novel to smaller, more manageable parts. For example, if you want to write a 50,000 word novel, and you want to try and write 500-1000 words a day, then if you wrote every day, you can expect to finish your novel in 100-50 days. Write as much as you can as often as you can but if you find that you really just cannot bring yourself to write 1000+ words a day, that’s okay, do what you can. It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon and you don’t want to burn yourself out trying to reach these impossibly unrealistic goals. Likewise, you can reverse-engineer this method by setting a deadline first. Maybe you want to participate in NaNoWriMo? If you’re writing a 50,000-word novel for the National Novel Writing Month Challenge, then you know you’ll have to write an average of 1,667 words a day to meet that goal. Some people like to write one chapter a week while others will write one a day. Some books take a month to write while others take years to write. No matter what this looks like for you, setting deadlines and loose, yet realistic goals can help you stay on track throughout the novel writing process.
Writer feeling stressed. Photo by Energepic.com.
Be kind to yourself throughout the writing process
This is probably one of the most overlooked parts of writing and I believe many writers could stand to practice some self-care throughout the writing process. Remember, writing a book is insanely hard to do and most people never accomplish this feat of strength. It’s not meant to be easy. As mentioned, writing can get really tough sometimes and its important that you exercise patience and kindness with yourself when writing. You will feel like the words just aren’t working or everything you write is an absolute dumpster fire, or you can’t pull yourself to the desk to write because you know these next scene is going to be really hard to bring to life. It’s okay. Breathe. Forgive yourself for writing garbage writing. Forgive yourself for not meeting your daily word count goal for that day. Forgive yourself for struggling because writing is a process.
I have a blog post for When Writing Becomes Difficult that goes more in-depth into this topic, but for the most part, just be kind to yourself and take the process one day at a time. Eventually, if you keep at it, you’ll have yourself a book! Following through and finishing the book is the hardest part of actually writing a book, but trust me, there is no better feeling that finishing a book.
When writing gets tough, check out these articles I wrote for some grace and self care.
And that’s it for my guide on How To Write A Book! Remember, this is going to be a 20-part in-depth series, so stay tuned for the next one. These blog posts will be coming out every Friday from now on, so make sure to subscribe to my newsletter if you want updates when the next part of this series is out! Good luck to all of you aspiring writers out there! I believe in you! Thanks for reading and don’t forget to write!
Related topics:
Book Writing 101: Coming Up With Book Ideas And What To Do With Them
Book Writing 101 - How To Chose The Right POV For Your Novel
Book Writing 101: How to Develop and Write Compelling, Consistent Characters
Book Writing 101: Everything You Need To Know About Dialogue
Story Binder Printables (Includes Character Sheets, Timelines, World-Building Worksheets and More!)
Payton’s Picks —40+ of my favorite helpful books on writing and editing.
25 Strangely Useful Websites To Use For Research and Novel Ideas
See all posts in Freelancing. See all posts in Book Writing 101.
Thumbnail photo by Kelly Sikkema.
This blog post was researched, written, and published by a human author without the assistance of generative artificial intelligence (gen-AI). Gen-AI models are trained on text written by humans, therefore, the presence of specific punctuation, verbiage, tone, or predictable, marketing-style phrases alone are not sufficient indicators of gen-AI usage. I implore readers to use context clues, critical thinking, pattern recognition, research, and employ their best judgement when determining the validity of human authorship of print and digital media today. If you want to learn more about my stance on gen-AI and it’s role in media and the publishing industry, I plan to release a blog post on this topic very soon, so stay tuned for that. This disclaimer will be updated once that post goes live. In the meantime, I will continue to be transparent about which tools and resources I use in my work.
Book Writing 101: How to Develop and Write Compelling, Consistent Characters
Characters are the beating heart and soul of any story. Books with lackluster writing or major plot holes can get away unscathed (mostly) if they at least have believable, loveable characters—not that writers should cut corners, though. Readers will follow these types of characters anywhere which is why Fanfiction is such a big interest to many readers.
Friends holding each other at sunset. Photo by Helena Lopes.
Hi readers and writerly friends,
Today, I want to talk about how to write and develop compelling, consistent characters. Characters are the beating heart and soul of any story. Books with lackluster writing or major plot holes can get away unscathed (mostly) if they at least have believable, loveable characters—not that writers should cut corners, though. Readers will follow these types of characters anywhere which is why Fanfiction is such a big interest to many readers. Writers can really bring a story to life with vibrant, relatable characters. The first half of this blog post that covers creating compelling characters is geared towards writers who are still in the drafting phase while the second half that covers writing consistent characters is more geared towards writers entering the revising and editing phase, so just keep that in mind as you go.
So, first, let’s discuss how to develop characters.
Character development
This is always the fun part, right, dreaming up your ideal characters, giving them names and backstories and building a fictional life for them? But this is also where a lot of key, fundamental, foundational work goes into your story and the characters within it. This part of story-building is crucial. There are so many more factors that come into play that will make your characters seem realistic and yet enchanting or cause them to be one-dimensional, forgettable, and poorly thought out. There are many things you’ll want to consider when developing characters that make sense.
Character backgrounds and worldview
What racial background do your characters come from? What gender background, religious background or economic background do they come from? What kind of upbringing did they experience? What kinds of views were they raised with? What kind of experiences did they face during their most critical stages of development as children and teenagers? What familial background do they have? What kind of education levels do they have?
Consider yourself for a moment. You are the culmination of all of your experiences, memories, backgrounds, and external and internal influences, up to this very moment. This is called your worldview. Everything you’ve ever experienced has come together to bring you to this moment in space and time. And that even started before you were born. Think about how your parents factor into this or even your grandparents. Everything that happened to your grandparents brought them together so they could bring your parents into this world, and thus, you. So not only does your upbringing influence your story much like the characters’ upbringing influences their stories, but you literally might not be here now if things hadn’t worked out just the way they did. This worldview is a critical element of each of your characters whether or not they ever make it onto the page. Consider your characters parent’s worldviews and goals and how they might influence your characters.
For example, if your character’s mother wanted to be a ballet dancer as a young girl, but her mother never let her, maybe she might push your character into ballet other extracurricular activities to make up for the lack of experience with such things in her life. Another example, if your characters grandparents were insanely rich and the character’s parents realized how all the money could corrupt people, they might chose to cut themselves off from the rest of the family and struggle through life instead of allowing themselves to succumb to wealth and the vapid nature of the parent’s family.
Consider character goals
Piggybacking on that last point, you want to consider your characters goals both internally and externally. Consider what goals they might have and how the interact with plot points. Consider what kind of self-imposed and external expectations might come attached to these goals. Consider what is at stake for failing to complete these goals and how that failure might make your character feel. Consider how one character’s goals conflict with the goals of another character in your story. Basically, determine what are your characters greatest desires and deepest fears and what lengths will they go to, to achieve the former and avoid the latter?
Perfect characters are boring
There is no such thing as perfect—not in real life and not in fiction. One of the biggest selling points of vibrant characters is the level of relatability the reader has with those characters. Characters should have both good and bad qualities as well as character-specific, unique quirks that set them apart from each other. Think about the things that make us human and figure out how you can weave that into your characters. Perfect characters are unrelatable and boring so leave those unrealistic expectations out of your writing. A fun way to figure out character personality traits is to write as many of them down as you can. Then close your eyes and point to a random one. Do this a couple of times to see what kind of character trait combinations you get. Then see how you can write these traits into your characters.
Icarus and The Sun artwork by Gabriel Picolo.
Strengths and weaknesses
Branching off from writing perfect characters, we need to talk about character strengths and weaknesses because it’s quite closely related. Since we know there is no such thing as a perfect character, then surely your characters must have some flaws you can work with. See how their strengths interact as well as how their weaknesses interact. Is one character really insecure but another has enough self-confidence to cover for the both of them? Are two characters toxic people towards one another but madly in love with each other and unstoppable when they’re together?
I like to think of Gabriel Picolo’s (@_picolo on instagram) Icarus and The Sun comics, where the sun is a radiant woman with so much passion and love to give, but her flaw is that she’s selfish and she will treat Icarus poorly until he leaves her and she starts the cycle again. And Icarus is so painfully lonely that he welcomes the toxic relationship back into his life again and again even though it is literally and figuratively killing him every time.
Consider the characters’ strengths and weaknesses and how these traits can either be steppingstones or roadblocks for completing their individual goals. Additionally, many times, a character’s greatest weakness can also double as their greatest strength. Much like in Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series, where Percy has struggled all his life to read and focus and chalked it up to dyslexia, but that weakness proved invaluable when it turned out he could read fluent Greek without and previous practice and it eventually saved his life. So, as you’re writing your characters, consider how their strengths and weaknesses can interact and either help them with or keep them from reaching their goals.
Character interaction
Now that you’re thinking about character strengths and weaknesses, you can start to figure out how characters interact with one another and how all of these character traits interact as well. If you start with your main character, how can you cast characters that play off the strengths and weaknesses of him/her? What kind of traits do they need to have to make a believable, relatable, and irresistible relationship between one another? Consider writing Foil characters, or characters that exists solely to frustrate and derail the protagonist’s goals. What kind of strengths would a foil character have if he/she existed purely to stop your main protagonist from completing his or her mission? In addition to character strengths and weaknesses interacting with one another, writers should consider what quirks, hobbies, interests, activities, and preferences their characters might have.
For instance, it might make sense that the bully in a YA boarding school fiction is a bit stronger than the main protagonist because she has played lacrosse for as long as she can remember and the main protagonist is more of a reader. But that might also make sense as to why the main protagonist is smarter or more cunning in a tight situation because she’s spent all her time reading and quickly formulate a plan for escape. This example is from Gillian Shield’s Immortal series and its just one of millions of examples of how to write character trait interaction and it really does boil down to just what worldview, interests, background, and strengths/weaknesses your characters might have.
Of course, you want to limit these traits to only a few per character and make sure they truly do make sense. Characters with too many dislikes, talents, hobbies, quirks, or what have you, are just not dynamic or believable—instead they are just too much. Pick a handful of traits that make sense for your characters and the plot and go with those. Additionally, it would be better to sprinkle these things in throughout the story instead of info-dumping on your readers all at once. Keep in mind that some hobbies are passive and might not make sense for your character or story as a whole—such as with reading. It made sense for Evelyn Johnson in Immortal, but it might not make sense for your story, so really consider how each character’s hobby fits in against the backdrop of your story, specifically.
Character hobbies and setting
Consider what your characters enjoy doing in their spare time and how that hobby reflects the world around them. Some settings/stories are easier to develop hobbies in such as Contemporary because anyone in that genre could just as easily (and believably) be doing the same activities any of us do, such as reading or playing video games or anything else we do in 2020. However, designing character hobbies for a futuristic story set in 3059 might be harder to do because you have to think about what people might actually be doing in that setting. The same thing goes for historical fictions, where you absolutely wouldn’t be reading about characters playing World of Warcraft or making videos for Tik Tok (rip Vine) because it just wouldn’t make sense for the setting and story. Likewise for Fantasy where many things that exist in our world might not make sense for a fantasy story, especially not high fantasy. The list goes on and on. Just think about how your character’s hobbies reflect the world about them and how they fit in with your setting.
Character relationships
Another element of compelling character design that ties into everything we’ve already discussed is how characters interact with others and what kind of relationships are present in the story. Something has to drive the plot forward and that is usually likes, dislikes, talents, hobbies, or relationships. Relationships are often the driving motivation for a character and can really move the plot along in an inconspicuous way to the reader. Such as, in Becca Fitzpatrick’s Hush, Hush where on the first day of school, Nora’s coach and Sex Ed professor assigns a seating chart and forces Nora to be partners with the new transfer student, thus putting her in an awkward position and potentially jeopardizing her grades if she can’t get her partner to cooperate on assignments. There’s all kinds of tension here from Nora missing sitting next to her best friend Vee, to her reluctance to engage with the intimidating transfer student, Patch, and to the stubborn teacher who refuses to change the seating chart at Nora’s request. This immediately creates some kind of relationship between Nora and Patch whether they want it or not and that’s exactly what drives the plot along until the real plot points are revealed.
There are many tropes in which something happens to a characters relationship with another character that drives a plot forward. For one, the trope of the character who must save their sibling (or a lover) from a terrible fate so they go on their quest. For two, there’s the trope of a character’s family member dying and the angst, rage, and confusion propelling them into their quest. Character relationships directly impact character motivations. For example, why does the villain always capture the superheroes’ love interest? Answer: because they know the hero will come running to the rescue of said love interest. That’s one of the most blatant uses of character relationships as plot devices.
When you’re crafting characters think about all of the characters in your story as an entire cast and plan them out as a whole. When you’re developing a cast, consider each relationship and how everyone relates to one another, what function they serve, and whether or not its dynamic. However, much like the issue of having too many hobbies or talents, steer clear of having too many characters. You really only need enough characters to drive the plot and then have a few extras here and there to make your world seem bigger/believable as needed. Try to avoid veering into Martin territory where there are just so many characters that all of them are disposable and even the readers know not to get their hopes up since they will all die anyways. Some stories warrant a large cast of characters such as with Tolkien, Martin, or Riordan where there are complex subplots and worldbuilding at play. As you can probably gather from these examples, massive casts of characters are best left to fantasy and mythological fiction. Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule, but air on the side of caution and avoid creating a character soup, where there’s just so many characters that their details get muddied and confusing.
Character names
This very well might be the single most fun items on the list, yet but I implore you dear writer, to take time and care with choosing your character’s names. There is so much readers can learn from a character’s name. Names truly do inform a large part of a person’s identity—they serve as markers of racial or cultural backgrounds, family names carry centuries of history, certain names carry with them certain connotations and ultimately names can impact how people are treated, so select your characters names with care. Consider why the character’s parents might have picked that name for them, what it says about them, how other characters might treat them because of it, and so on.
Pro tip: One of the easiest ways to get started with believable names is to look up a culture your character might be based on and try to find names that might have been popular during the time you’re writing your story. Obviously, this might be difficult with fantasy or futuristic stories, but for those, you can get extra creative by adding in vowels or consonants, changing spellings, and weaving elements of different languages into the name. Such as with some of the names/words in my fictional language in the world of Avyiien which pulls inspiration from Xhosa, a Nguni Bantu language that uses tongue clicking, and French which uses a lot of excess letters.
Ultimately characters are like icebergs—this is an analogy we see used a lot for plot and it works well there, but it works well for characters too. The visible tip of the iceberg is the written information about your character that is present in the book and the other 80% below the surface is what you use to inform the way you write your characters, but doesn’t necessarily always make it on the page. This is exactly how you write vibrant, rich, compelling characters that readers just can’t get enough of. These are the kinds of characters that find themselves in fanfiction and beyond.
And now, lets talk about how to maintain a consistency among your character’s their unique voices, worldviews, quirks, hobbies, strengths, weaknesses, goals, and relationships. If you’ve spent all this time designing rich, deep, believable characters, you want to ensure their actions throughout the story align with them as people and make sense to the reader. This is typically a revisions/editing issue so if you’re still working on that first draft, don’t get too bogged down by inconsistencies early on—simply write and go back to iron out the details later.
However, these are all important points you should take into consideration if you’re looking to write consistent characters across chapters and/or multiple books. In order to avoid giving readers emotional whiplash, it’s the writers job to ensure a character’s actions align with their personality. Failing to do this can result in confusion and distraction for the reader, which we of course, want to steer clear of. Its perfectly okay for characters to do things that are our-of-character for them as long as it makes sense for the story and has the proper set up beforehand, thus it no longer becomes out of character for them. Potential Spoiler: Such as with my short story, the Sieka of Sahn’Jatar, where one character has plans to kill another for profit, but after a series of events, changes their mind and decides to work with the person they’d initially planned to kill. This shift in character makes sense because of the shift in events leading up to this conflict. As a writer, you can choose to keep the plot points that conflict with the personality of your character so long as you’re willing to tie them together and make it make sense. Otherwise, it might just be a better move to cut it out and change directions altogether.
Inconsistent main characters are the worst
Of course, all that has previously been mentioned concerning inconsistent characters thus far, has pretty much only had to do with supporting characters or antagonists but if you’re finding inconsistencies with your main protagonist, you have some fundamental discrepancies with your book that will absolutely need to be worked out for you to achieve believable, relatable characters. Inconsistent main characters can potentially create a lot of distance between the characters and the reader. This can end up causing some serious issues for your story because it deprives the reader of that emotional reading experience, and since the characters are the vehicles by which the story is told, having that disconnect can really break a story. That being the greatest of your worries, having inconsistent main characters or POV or what have you, can cause frustration, confusion, and anger in your reader. All of these issues are just distractions for your readers and ultimately something you as the writer, should be trying to avoid.
So, how do you solve an inconsistent character? Well, you have to bring it back to the basics. Consider what that character’s fundamental motives are. Think back to everything we’ve covered in the first half of this blog post. What goals does he or she have and how do their (inconsistent) actions fit in to those goals? If they don’t fit, how can you write them so that they do? What other background information and characterization can you supply that will make these actions not so far fetched for your character? If these actions aren’t necessary for that character, can you write them for another character? Can you cut them out entirely? If they are necessary to the plot, how can you change your characters to fit around these inconsistencies? Consider how your characters would organically respond and react to the actions of the other characters and how they all fit together.
This is where you have to do some serious soul searching and determine whether or not these character actions are integral to your plot and story as a whole. Like I said, if it’s a deal breaker, you might have to recast that character or sprinkle breadcrumbs throughout your story, so their inconsistent actions don’t seem so out of character for them. If it’s not a deal breaker, how can you change those actions to fit your carefully crafted characters and make their actions and reactions believable? As you can probably tell, this is why its critical to make sure you have your first draft completed before digging into inconsistencies and rewriting because you just get stuck in a vicious rewriting cycle and it’s just not pretty. If there’s discrepancies throughout your writing, a finished draft will allow you to make decisions on how you can solve those issues, but if you’re just rewriting, it can quickly get confusing and hard to know where your story will even end up.
Characters are incredibly important and should serve the plot just as much as the plot serves them. Characters must be well-rounded and balanced and everything they do should make sense within the framework of your story. Compelling, consistent, and loveable characters are the backbone of any great story and can often carry a sub-par plot if they are believable and relatable enough and if their actions match their personalities. However, writing enchanting characters is easier said than done and it’s why a lot of writers struggle with character development.
And that’s it for my extensive blog post on writing and developing compelling and consistent characters. What are your favorite and least favorite parts of character development? What do you think about character backstories and names? Let me know what you think in the comments below!
Related Topics:
Book Writing 101: Coming Up With Book Ideas And What To Do With Them
Book Writing 101 - How To Chose The Right POV For Your Novel
Book Writing 101: Everything You Need To Know About Dialogue
Story Binder Printables (Includes Character Sheets, Timelines, World-Building Worksheets and More!)
Payton’s Picks —40+ of my favorite helpful books on writing and editing.
25 Strangely Useful Websites To Use For Research and Novel Ideas
See all posts in Freelancing. See all posts in Book Writing 101.