By BookBaby author Lee Purcell

Estimated reading time: 9 minutes

In “Expanding Boundaries: Pioneers of Travel Writing,” I took a brief look at the history and some of the pioneers of travel writing — a genre that has allure and an aura of glamor that so many (including myself) find compelling.

Of course, there are writers, active today, who are pioneers of their own, documenting experiences and revelations that are only possible when traveling to new places and experiencing new people and cultures. If you are interested in learning more about your own humble place in the universe through travel and travel writing, you’ll benefit from the insights of the three veteran travel writers highlighted here.

Sam Manicom: Into Africa

As a novice motorcyclist, Sam Manicom set out on a cross-Africa tour — described in Into Africa: Every Day an Adventure — during which he encountered a daunting array of obstacles and extreme incidents that would have turned many others away early on.

Since self-publishing that book in 2011, Manicom has penned a series of travelogues, met Birgit (his long-term partner) while on one of his journeys, and expanded his adventures to every continent (except Antarctica — ice and motorcycling don’t mix well). He’s a well-known figure at conferences and motorcycle travel events and is very open about sharing his knowledge and experiences with others.

“They say, ‘never do something if you don’t have passion for it,'” Manicom told me. “They also say, ‘only write about the things you know well.’ Well, that’s boxes one and two ticked.

“The magic of travel writing comes from a mix of key factors,” he continues. “The writing must be entertaining, informative, humorous — where relevant — and always real. Put your reader there with you in the scene you are describing and there’s a chance of success.

“Another key to success is knowing who the likely readers are,” Manicom adds. “Write for them. Preferably, you’ll identify several groups of potential readers.

“Finally, enjoy the writing. This is a sharing exercise and can be amazingly good fun. Each book is a new adventure, so be aware that you’ll have down moments and route changes, but flexibility is where the fun begins and your storytelling unfolds.”

If you make progress and succeed in writing a travel book, at some point you’ll need to make that serious decision that all writers face. “One of the hardest parts of making a book happen is the decision between chasing for a publishing house’s attention or choosing to self-publish.” (Manicom has self-published all his works — and narrated his own audiobooks as well.)

“The other hard part for most aspiring authors is the promotional work. But that can be a new adventure as well, if you accept it.”

Carla King: The inner journey

Carla King has taken bold motorcycle trips on unproven bikes, trusting on the mechanical expertise she picked up at a very young age to find her way out of difficult situations.

“My niche as a solo female motorcycle adventure traveler specializing on riding unreliable indigenous motorcycles around the world was my entrée into travel writing. I wasn’t so great at craft in the beginning, but my stories were compelling enough that editors were willing to work with me.

“The best travel writing,” King continues, “is as much about the inner journey as it is about the road trip. Stories that reveal what you make of what’s happening are much more popular than service pieces. So, take your passion on the road, whether it’s motorcycling or gluten-free cuisine or musical temples or whatever thing you love and want to talk about for decades to come.

“Bringing the credibility of passion and expertise to your writing — and sticking to it — is critical to getting the attention of both readers and editors,” she advises. “Once you’ve honed your craft and become known as a writer within your niche, you can branch out from there.

“My stories always include a lot what we call ‘helmet time’ in the motorcycle world, with flashbacks and backstories that reveal the inner journey and connect the reader to what is happening on a personal level.

“Oftentimes,” King adds, “the full story of a journey cannot be processed until years — even decades — later, and perhaps not even until the death of a loved one. When my former partner passed away last year, I was surprised about how much it freed me to include the theme of how our struggling relationship affected my long solo journey in China. I just started writing about it again and a flood of memories and emotions resurfaced. It’s now a much more honest book that I know will speak to many more readers.”

Erin Van Rheenen: The power of place

Erin Van Rheenen writes fiction and nonfiction that explores family dynamics, cultural differences, and the power of place. Her work has been anthologized and published in Atlas Obscura, BBC Travel, The Sun, and Best Women’s Travel Writing, and she’s preparing to publish a new novel set in Costa Rica. She’s also a science writer, an editor, and a teacher.

“I didn’t set out to be a travel writer,” she explains. “I was drawn to fiction and poetry, places of pure imagery and imagination. But while living in Ecuador, I wrote a letter to my boyfriend’s mother about a group of remarkable local artists who lived high in the Andes, painting with car enamel on sheepskin. My boyfriend’s mom wrote for the Arizona Daily Star, and she encouraged me to write an article about these painters. When I sent her the piece, she wielded a heavy editorial hand, adding terms like ‘lush,’ ‘breathtaking,’ and ‘off the beaten track,’ which I would later recognize as travel-writing clichés.”

“Lest people think I lucked into travel writing, it would be over a decade before I published my next travel piece. What got me going again was being hired as an editor at Avalon Travel Publishing, which had just swallowed several small travel presses: John Muir Publications, Foghorn Outdoors, and Moon Handbooks. I learned an enormous amount about the travel-writing ecosystem by working at a travel publisher. When I became series editor of Moon Handbooks, I also learned that I most definitely didn’t want to write one of those guides. They were a massive amount of work and jammed full of perishable information — like hours and prices — which would change even before the book hit the shelves.

“Also, I was a fan of long stays in low-rent places, like Ecuador, where I spent two years. My next assignment as an editor was perfect for me: to rethink a John Muir Publications series giving advice about moving to places like Mexico and France. I rethought the series to match what I, as a relocator, would want to know, then realized it would be more fun to write one of these books than to edit it.

“I pitched Living Abroad in Costa Rica (a place I’d never been, though I’d traveled extensively in Central and South America). They said yes. After all, I’d designed the template for the series! I left the desk behind and hit the road. I would be away for years. Researching and writing that 440-page guide to Costa Rica almost killed me and took a big chunk out of my savings. But the book gave me a kind of legitimacy and a niche that would serve me well as I tried for other assignments.”

Van Rheenen offers these three lessons learned from her circuitous journey to becoming a travel writer:

1. Welcome serendipity, but don’t rely on it.
2. Know your industry.
3. Invent things you want to be a part of.

“Oh,” she adds, “and don’t expect to make much money.”

A travel writer’s responsibility

Van Rheenen believes writers have a unique responsibility to the places they write about. In an interview posted on her blog, she says:

I have mixed feeling about being an agent of bringing more people to Costa Rica. The way I handle those mixed feelings is to be aware of our impact in developing countries, and to not be your typical ugly American, but to be an American who has done her homework and understands the place of our country of origin in the larger world — the effect we’ve had on other countries, other people.

Most of the movement around the world, of course, is people crossing borders because they are feeling economic or political pressure or fleeing environmental disaster. I’m in a very privileged position to choose to move someplace else.

Find community

“There was no internet when I started taking my writing seriously,” Van Rheenen muses. “I enrolled in an MFA program, looking for a community I never quite found. Nowadays, the opportunities for writing community have exploded, especially online. As an introvert, I was slow in taking up that challenge, and when I did, I was often disappointed. Online groups imploded because of gatekeeping or politics. A Zoom writing class left me feeling alienated and unseen. The members of a small writing group had wildly different skill levels and expectations for the group.

“But I persevered. Video conferencing allowed me to study with teachers who lived and worked thousands of miles away. I lowered my expectations for online groups, trying to keep my own contributions positive. And I found a great group of writers who support each other.

“You can really improve your writing by sharing it with people you trust and listening to their feedback. It’s also imperative that you develop your own skills in giving useful feedback. I think of my literary life as an ecosystem in which I play different roles at different times: editor, writer, promoter (of other people’s work, and my own), submitter (of my work to agents and editors), student, and teacher.”

Related Posts
Expanding Boundaries: Pioneers of Travel Writing
How To Define Your Book’s Target Audience In 6 Steps
My Five Favorite Books On Writing
Book Genres Every Writer Should Know
How to Write a Book Series

This BookBaby blog article Developing a Career as a Travel Writer appeared first on and was stolen from BookBaby Blog .

By BookBaby author Scott McCormick

Estimated reading time: 9 minutes

If you want to write a novel but are daunted by the process, you are not alone. After all, a lot of elements go into writing a novel: a great idea, compelling characters, plots, subplots, themes, worldbuilding, snappy dialog, and a powerful finish. It can seem overwhelming.

But here’s the thing: if you approach writing your novel with a solid game plan, and if you take it one step at a time, you can achieve your goal. I know this because I once thought I’d never write a novel, and now I’ve written — and published — several. If I can do it, you can too. Let’s take your story idea and put your writing skills to the test.

1. Find an idea for your story

Most novels begin with an idea. You probably already know this, and perhaps this has even been a stumbling block for you. I get it. It’s not easy coming up with a brilliant idea that no one has ever thought of before. If you can, great. Proceed to step two. But if you’re struggling, here are some thoughts to help take the pressure off.

Small ideas are great

Many novels aren’t based on one single grand idea; instead, they are built on several smaller ideas, and that unique combination makes them stand out. So, every time you get a story idea — no matter how small — write it down. When you’re ready to start writing a novel, see if you can piece those smaller ideas into a cohesive story.

Tweak existing ideas

Many of the most beloved novels and movies are based on existing stories, only they’ve been tweaked slightly. The movie Clueless, for example, one of the most successful and iconic comedies ever, is famously based on Jane Austen’s novel, Emma. But instead of being based in Regency-Era high-society England, it takes place in a Beverly Hills high school in 1995. My novel, The Dragon Squisher, began with the simple premise of writing a fantasy version of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. If you say, “Hey Scott, there are plenty of books like that already,” that brings me to my next point…

Everything’s been done before — your job is to do it differently

There were plenty of books about wizarding schools before Harry Potter came along: Ursula K. Le Guin’s A Wizard of Earthsea, Jill Murphy’s The Worst Witch, and Neil Gaiman’s The Books of Magic, among others. But each of those authors brought new ideas, characters, voices, and themes to these stories that are, on the surface, quite similar to each other.

“Similar” is a feature, not a bug

If you are considering pitching your novel to an agent or publisher, they’re going to ask you for three-to-five comps (successful books that have been published in the last five years that are similar to yours). Why? Because they want to know there is a big audience for your kind of book. It also helps them market your book, as in, “If you liked Book A, you’ll also enjoy Book B.”

So, don’t sweat the “big idea,” just focus on coming up with something that excites you.

2. Find your novel’s theme

Before you start writing, ask yourself: What is this novel about? I don’t mean what is the plot or what is the big idea, I mean, what is the essential theme? Even if you’re writing an action-packed adventure story, your book should be about something.

Again, you don’t have to come up with a new theme that’s never been covered before. Stick to the classics: love, revenge, redemption, coming-of-age, good vs. evil, people vs. nature, etc. These themes appear repeatedly in our stories for a reason: they’re universal and easily understood.

Knowing your theme will help you make all your major decisions: plot points, character arcs, etc. If you’re struggling to come up with your theme, that’s OK. You can come back to it once you’ve found your protagonist. But it’s a good thing to have rattling around in the back of your mind in the early writing stages.

3. Create your characters

Now that you have your idea and your theme, you need to focus on creating compelling characters. Your characters are the most important ingredient of your story, both major and minor characters. Their wants and needs will drive the plot forward. Your characters are also what your readers will latch onto. While your main idea might be interesting enough to get a reader to open your book, it’s your characters who will get them to read on.

First up, you need to start with your main character, aka your protagonist. This is who your readers will identify with and through whom you will project your ideas as well as your voice. Great characters will fascinate your readers. They will recognize your protagonist’s flaws and cheer them on as they take on the various challenges you throw at them.

There are two main things you need to determine when creating your protagonist: their inner journey and their outer journey.

Their outer journey will determine the plot of your novel. Ask yourself this one important question: What does your character want? Are they trying to stop a villain? Save a loved one? Win the big game? Fall in love?

Their inner journey is also known as a character arc. The best protagonists are flawed. Maybe they’re selfish or arrogant or they can’t get over the loss of a loved one. In the course of their outer journey, they will have to grapple with their inner journey as well. Often, when they succeed in their inner journey, that helps them achieve their outer goal as well. Here’s one way to think about it: While it’s true that your protagonist’s outer journey will drive the story, your story will also change your protagonist.

There is more to creating a great character than their outer/inner journeys, of course. In fact, it’s a such a huge subject that we can’t cover everything in this one post. So, here is a selection of articles with writing tips to help you think about how to approach character-building:

• Understanding the hero’s journey.
• Study classic character archetypes to get a broad sense of the kinds of characters that regularly show up in literature.
• Know the difference between “flat” and “round” characters.
• Understand how to create internal and external conflict for your characters.

4. Find your conflict

Your central conflict is what will drive your story. It’s safe to say that without conflict, you have no story. Imagine a romance novel in which two people meet, fall in love, and get married. Boring! No, there has to be something that keeps them apart, whether it’s a third person, a clash of personalities, a war, a tragedy, etc. Conflict is what will keep readers turning the pages.

Conflicts come in all shapes and sizes. We’ve already alluded to inner conflict vs. external, but there are other types, too, including:

• Hero and villain (Sherlock Holmes vs. Moriarity, McMurphy vs. Nurse Ratched)
• Person and nature (The Old Man and the Sea)
• Humans vs. technology (Frankenstein, The Terminator)
• Hero vs. society (The Handmaid’s Tale)

5. Set — and raise — the stakes

The next key ingredient you need to start writing your story is to determine what’s at stake. In other words, what happens if your protagonist fails in their quest? If the answer is, “Not much,” then you won’t have a compelling story. The higher the stakes, the bigger the story.

6. Consider physical and social constructs of your world

Although this is usually more important for sci-fi, fantasy, and horror novels, it’s a good idea to think through your fictional world; after all, you and your readers are going to be spending some time there. Consider geography, history, culture, and politics. It may be important to think about social dynamics — understanding the relationships between different groups or classes, prejudices, and societal norms in your setting. Think through your magical systems, levels of technology, supernatural rules, etc.

Remember: You don’t have to tell your readers all these details — that could lead to a very exposition-heavy and boring book. But you need to know them.

7. Are you a pantser or plotter?

Now that you have your basic ingredients, you can start writing your novel. There are three general ways to go about your writing journey: you can write a book outline (aka plotting a novel), you can jump in and see where your muse takes you (aka pantsing a novel), or you can try some combination of the two. There are pros and cons to each approach, though you will probably naturally gravitate towards one for your novel writing process.

8. Set daily writing goals

Writing regularly can keep you motivated and help maintain the flow of your story. Aim for a daily or weekly word count or block out time and dedicate a set number of hours per day or week and stick to it. If you need to, designate specific writing hours to ensure minimal distractions.

9. Overcoming writer’s block

What if you get stuck? There are several techniques to combat writer’s block. Try taking a walk. You’ll find that sometimes, simply stepping away from your computer and getting the blood pumping can clear your head.

Another thing I like to do is to take my characters out of the story and write a silly adventure for them. Maybe I’ll take them bowling or to the grocery store. It’s amazing how being silly can take the edge off. Often these adventures will pay off with useful dialogue. You never know — it’s worth trying.

10. Edit and polish your manuscript

Writing is rewriting. No one should ever publish their first draft. With this in mind, once you are finished writing your book, set it aside for a month. When you come back to it, you’ll be able to look at it with fresh eyes to tackle your second draft.

Consider hiring beta readers to give you feedback. Search on freelance sites like Fiverr and Upwork where you can find quality readers who specialize in your genre and who will offer you unbiased opinions. Once you’ve incorporated their feedback, it’s time to hire a professional editor.

Prepare for publishing!

Once your manuscript is ready, you’ll need to consider whether you want to self-publish or try for a traditional deal. Both options have their pros and cons. We like self-publishing because it’s available to everyone, it offers the highest royalty rate, it’s incredibly fast (a few weeks as opposed to a year or longer), and you have complete control.

If you decide to self-publish and partner with BookBaby, you can use our professional author services to help you tackle everything from book cover design and interior formatting to distribution and metadata optimization. Just give us a call at 877-961-6878 or head to our website and peruse all our self-publishing offers and services.

This BookBaby blog article How to Write a Novel in 10 Steps appeared first on and was stolen from BookBaby Blog .

By BookBaby author Philip Kinsher

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Although people often use the terms “main character” and “protagonist” interchangeably, they carry distinct roles that shape the dynamics of a story. As a writer, it’s important to understand the difference so you can best exploit these roles and improve your writing skills.

What is a main character?

The main character serves as the anchor of a story. This character typically receives the most page time and serves as a lens through which the audience experiences the unfolding events. The main character is often the narrator, guiding the audience through their perspective, or a central figure whose journey the audience follows closely.

What is a protagonist?

A protagonist is the driving force behind the story’s plot. This character is not merely present; they actively shape the narrative trajectory. The protagonist is the catalyst for change, facing challenges, making choices, and evolving throughout the story. This is the character the audience roots for, investing emotionally in their journey.

If these two literary terms sound similar, they are. Often the main character and the protagonist are the same, but that is not always the case, and it’s intriguing to explore the differences.

The difference between the main character and protagonist

To understand the nuances between the main character and protagonist, it’s crucial to grasp their respective roles in storytelling.

The biggest difference between the two is one of agency. While the protagonist causes change, the main character is impacted by it. The other difference is that the protagonist will evolve throughout the narrative. Protagonists not only have an external journey (the plot) but an internal one as well. Typically, the protagonist has a character flaw, and, through their external journey, they must deal with their inner journey.

Examples of main characters who are not the protagonist

Let’s consider a few classic tales where the main character and protagonist are distinct entities.

In The Great Gatsby, the main character is Nick Carraway. He is the narrator and observer, while Jay Gatsby is a different character who takes on the role of the protagonist, driving the narrative with his ambitions and tragic fate. This dichotomy adds depth and complexity to the storytelling, challenging traditional expectations. Consider how different the novel would be if Gatsby were both the protagonist and the main character. You’d lose a lot of the perspective that Nick brings to the tale.

Another classic example is To Kill a Mockingbird. Atticus Finch is the protagonist, while Scout is our narrator and main character. Separating the two roles gives the story an added sense of irony, as we see the very adult subjects of rape and moral values through the eyes of a child.

What do you gain by separating the protagonist and main character?

Having a separate main character and protagonist allows you to build up, even mythologize your protagonist, as the reader can see the protagonist through your main character’s eyes. You can see how this works in both To Kill a Mockingbird and The Great Gatsby.

Is the main character simply a narrator?

In the cases of The Great Gatsby and To Kill a Mockingbird, our main characters are both also narrators. But all in-story narrators aren’t also main characters. Consider the tales of Sherlock Holmes. Dr. Watson is the narrator of these stories, but one could argue that he is not the main character because he is not impacted by the actions of Holmes; he is merely an observer. Carraway and Scout, on the other hand, are both impacted by the actions of Gatsby and Finch, respectively.

How to identify the protagonist of your story

Determining the protagonist amidst a cast of multiple main characters requires a keen understanding of their role in shaping the narrative.

Who is driving the story forward?

The protagonist is the central character whose actions and decisions propel the plot. Identify the individual who takes charge, influencing the course of events.

Who is undergoing the most change?

The protagonist experiences growth and transformation as part of their character arc. Look for the character who undergoes significant development, facing challenges and evolving as a result.

Who is the reader rooting for?

The protagonist is the leading character with whom the audience emotionally invests. Identify the individual for whom readers feel a sense of connection and empathy.

Tips for writing a strong protagonist

Crafting a compelling protagonist involves more than assigning them the central role. Here are some tips to ensure your protagonist captivates readers:

Give your protagonist a clear goal or motivation

A strong protagonist is defined by their desires. Be sure to clearly establish what your protagonist wants and the motivations driving their actions. This adds depth to their character and provides a guiding force for the narrative.

Put your protagonist through challenges and obstacles

Adversity and conflict are the crucible through which a protagonist’s mettle is tested. Introduce challenges that force your protagonist to confront their fears, make tough decisions, and demonstrate their resilience. This not only builds tension but also allows for meaningful character development.

Allow your protagonist to grow and change

The hallmark of a memorable protagonist is their ability to evolve. Whether it’s a change in perspective, values, or capabilities, let your protagonist undergo a transformative journey. This growth creates a satisfying arc for the audience and ensures a dynamic, multi-dimensional character.

Main character and protagonist: Anchor and driver

While the main character provides a narrative anchor, the protagonist drives the story’s momentum while facing challenges and evolving in the process. Think about your story goal and what you want to convey through your writing. Recognizing the unique qualities of each role will allow you to create characters that resonate with audiences, adding depth and complexity to the storytelling experience, and perhaps allowing you to subvert character archetypes through a unique narrative approach.

When you’ve established your characters’ roles and have your novel ready for publication, turn to the self-publishing experts at BookBaby to get your book in the hands of readers.

Related Posts
How to Achieve Great Character Development in Your Story
Round vs. Flat Character: What’s the Difference?
What’s the Difference Between a Static vs. Dynamic Character?
How Flawed Characters Create Meaning in Story
12 Character Archetypes to Know Before You Start Writing

This BookBaby blog article What’s the Difference Between the Main Character and Protagonist? appeared first on and was stolen from BookBaby Blog .

By BookBaby author Lauren Davish

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Reading a good story isn’t just entertaining; it can be a powerful, profound, even life-changing experience. We become emotionally attached to the characters, discover insights of our own human experience, and often end up with a “book hangover” for a few days after we finish (or is that just me?).

But as an aspiring author, how do you take a story idea and actually write a good story that evokes all of the above? I’ve got some insight on how to navigate the creative writing process to produce a good story that captivates your audience. There’s no precise formula to apply when considering how to write a good story, but understanding essential story elements can help you tell a tale that capture’s a reader’s attention.

Fundamentals of a good story

At the heart of every great story are the fundamentals, or building blocks, that create its foundation. Characters, plot, and setting all work together to bring your story to life. Character development is crucial to help your readers feel connected, while the setting helps the reader envision what’s going on and places them in the story.

Generally speaking, the content (or plot) of your story should involve elements such as conflict, tension, suspense, and perhaps some controversy. When you have well-developed characters, a defined setting, and a solid plot line, you’ve got the basis for a great story.

1. Storytelling techniques

When it comes to storytelling techniques, foreshadowing and flashbacks are some of the elements that hook readers and make the story an entire experience.

Foreshadowing involves subtly hinting at what’s to come in the story, creating anticipation within the reader. Sometimes, authors make foreshadowing pretty obvious, on purpose; while other times, the reader will experience a full-circle moment without having seen it coming. Symbols, imagery, or dialogue can all serve as elements of foreshadowing.

Flashbacks, on the other hand, bring readers to a past situation within the story that will provide insight to a specific character or plot point. Perhaps the character recalls something from their past that another character said and the plot thickens or the character has a dream about a past situation that propels the narrative.

2. Engaging, memorable characters

A good story typically hinges on engaging, complex, and memorable characters, and usually, these characters are pretty relatable, too. Focusing on character development in your story is a surefire way to captivate readers. A well-thought-out character arc — the transformation characters go through in a story — gives your protagonists and antagonists depth and, in turn, transforms your readers’ perspective.

Your characters should convey varying degrees of humanness (even if they’re not human!). They should have strengths, weaknesses, flaws, and quirks. Perhaps they have a bad habit or speak in a certain dialect. Additionally, your main character (and others, too) should move through a transition — their character arc — that tracks their growth and development.

Think about some of your favorite characters in stories you’ve read and list some of your favorite aspects of their personalities. What gave them depth? What made them relatable? Add some of these elements to your own characters and your story as a whole.

3. Plot development

Having a well-developed plot includes having a consistent throughline— maybe it’s the problem your narrative is attempting to solve. From beginning to end, you want to make sure your plot always comes back to the throughline.

Of course, there can be plot twists throughout, but having one over-arching, central issue the story is working to resolve helps keep readers engaged and furthers the plot. You’ll also want to make sure the pacing of the plot makes sense and accelerates when there’s action and urgency and slows when there’s a need to develop a plot point or dive into your characters. This push and pull in your plot development and pacing makes for a more interesting and captivating read.

4. Climax and resolution

The climax of your story is the moment when all the suspense and tension, or the rising action, culminates. It typically serves as the turning point of the story, where the main character faces the conflict and must find the resolution.

If the climax is there to have an impact on the reader, the resolution gives your reader closure. Viewed through the lens of your story structure, this is where the many of the questions raised in the book have been answered, the action has abated, and now it’s up to you to either tie up loose ends, leave threads untangled, or to leave the future of characters up for interpretation.

5. Dialogue

Just like with a play, you can tell an entire story through character dialogue — if the dialogue is created to advance the plot. Mastering the dialogue in story writing helps move the narrative forward, creates more developed and interesting characters, and evokes more emotion from your reader. Good dialogue an excellent way to “show” not “tell” the action and suspense in your story.

6. Edit and polish (and edit…)

You can have the greatest plot twists, most suspenseful rising action, and incredibly well-developed characters, but misspellings, inconsistencies, and glaring grammar errors will take your reader out of the narrative and their suspension of disbelief. Do yourself and your reader a favor and work with a professional editor to ensure any errors are addressed before your book hits the shelves.

Writing a good story is truly an art. It combines imagination and structure, decision-making and creativity, and weaves it all together to create an experience your readers will be thinking about long after they’ve read the last page.

Related Posts
Want to Write a Great Story? You Need to Raise the Stakes.
How to Write Characters Who Aren’t Like You
The Importance of Setting in Your Story
How Will You Build Suspense in Your Story?
How to Harness the Power of Foreshadowing

This BookBaby blog article How to Write a Good Story (6 Tips for Aspiring Authors) appeared first on and was stolen from BookBaby Blog .

By BookBaby author Michael Gallant

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

Whether it comes first or last in your process — or anywhere in the middle — titling your book makes a huge difference in how readers perceive your work — and whether they decide to purchase it in the first place. A good book title grabs a potential reader’s attention and piques their interest, sets their expectations, and prepares them for the literary brilliance within.

Your book’s front matter should be grab attention, and a great title is one of the most important elements. Of course, you’re not aiming for clickbait, but it can’t be boring either, so deciding how to write a book title that represents your work and ticks all the boxes can be a challenge. If book title generators aren’t cutting it, here are some writing tips to help you hit the sweet spot when naming your book.

Choose the type of book title that works for you

Book titles can be short or long, literal or abstract, serious or funny, or anything beyond. Here are some of the many different types you can choose from — and a few book title ideas for inspiration.

• Descriptions: The Five Hour Workweek, The Housemaid
• Questions: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?; Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.
• Provocations: Steal This Book; I Am America (And So Can You!)
• Humor: Super Sad True Love Story; Me Talk Pretty One Day
• Puns: Wishful Drinking; The Importance of Being Earnest
• Alliterations: The Boys in The Boat; Pride and Prejudice
• Metaphors: Chicken Soup for the Soul; All the Light We Cannot See

Understand the core principles of a great book title

There’s a great deal of creativity that goes into writing a top-notch book title, but there’s plenty of craft to accompany the art. Here are some simple rules for writing a good title.

• Be clear and concise. Nobody wants to read a book with a title that’s over-complicated or bloated with words that don’t need to be there. A good test for when you’re done is making sure that there aren’t any more words you can remove from a potential title without having it lose its meaning and power.
• Use strong, evocative language. Remember that one of the primary goals of a book title is to grab the reader’s attention, so try to use powerful words, phrases, and images that will make an impact. This doesn’t mean to go trashy and use words or phrases that that will just shock — trust your gut to know the difference.
• Be original and unique. Avoid clichés and overused phrases, and don’t follow the pack. Just because 50 other best-selling authors titled their books a certain way doesn’t mean you should. Your goal is to find the best title that fits your book, and when it comes to book titling, one size never fits all.
• Make sure your title is relevant to your book’s content. This may seem obvious, but in an era of clickbait headlines, it’s very important to make sure that there’s a strong connection between the book title you come up with and the text that rests in between the covers.

Test your title

Once you have a draft title in place, or even a short list of potential titles you’re trying to decide between, it’s time to run your potential book name(s) through a thorough review process to make sure you’ve landed on the one.

• Ask other people for feedback. Identify beta readers and other people in your network who fit the demographic of your target audience, whether that means kids, young adults, parents, etc. Then run the title by them and see what they think. Don’t base your decision solely on any one person’s feedback, but keep your test subjects’ overall impressions in mind as you make your final decisions.
• Look at the best-selling books in your genre and see what kind of titles they have. This can be helpful for context, but again, make sure not to imitate anything too closely. You don’t want your book title to seem like a rip off of what’s already out there.
• Do a search on Amazon to see if there are any other books with the same title. This is an important step. It may or may not be a dealbreaker if other books already have the title you want — so be sure to investigate. If you have questions about this, consult with a literary lawyer. Organizations like Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts and the Author’s Guild can be great resources for this sort of thing.
• Test your title on social media to see how people react. You can always try crowdsourcing reactions to your potential book title and see what people say.

Tailor your title to your genre

There are few hard and fast rules when it comes to titling your book, and certain principles can help you make sure that your project both stands out and fits in with the standards of your genre.

• Fiction. Book titles for fiction genres are often descriptive, evocative, or intriguing. The more vivid and interesting, the better.
• Nonfiction. Book titles for nonfiction genres are often more straightforward and informative. You want your readers to know what they’re getting.
• Self-help. Book titles for self-help genres often promise readers a specific benefit or solution. Make sure that those benefits are straightforward, attractive, and realistic.
• Business. Book titles for business genres often focus on success, leadership, or innovation. They can also focus on achieving certain specific types of goals. Again, avoid hype and bluster and drill down to the value your readers will get by reading.

Trademark your book title

Once you land on the perfect title for your book, your next job is to protect it in the proper way. You can’t copyright a book title, so in most situations, that means engaging in the trademark process. Here’s how you get started:

• Search the USPTO trademark database to see if your book title is already trademarked.
• If your book title is not trademarked, you can file a trademark application online. If there already is a trademark on your dream title, but you still feel like it’s the one, touch base with a lawyer via the links above.
• Once your trademark is approved, you will have exclusive rights to use your book title in commerce.

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This BookBaby blog article How to Write a Book Title That Gets Attention appeared first on and was stolen from BookBaby Blog .

By BookBaby author Scott McCormick

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

Killing a character can be a powerful storytelling device. Done properly, a character’s death can shock; it can take the plot in a whole new direction, raise the stakes, and help develop your other characters. Done improperly, however, it can take the wind out of your story and annoy your readers.

So, let’s explore the fine art of killing your characters: why you should do it, how to get the most out of it, and we’ll throw in some character death ideas for good measure. But, be warned: I’ll turn to some popular books and movies in this analysis, and will be spoiling the likes of Star Wars, the Harry Potter series, Psycho, Scream, M*A*S*H, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Game of Thrones, Big Hero 6, and How I Met Your Mother.

How character deaths can drive your story

The golden rule of killing off a character is this: Make it meaningful. It is not something to be taken lightly. A character’s death should drive the story forward, develop your characters, or raise the stakes. If it fails to do any of these things, you are either wasting an opportunity or stand the chance of alienating or upsetting your readers.

Inciting incident

An inciting incident is an event at the beginning of a story that disturbs the protagonist’s life and launches them into the plot. The death of a character can be a very compelling inciting incident — and one that can lead to character development for others in your story. Many stories revolve around a hero avenging the death of someone they loved.

But you need to be careful with this. You don’t want to create a character whose sole purpose is to die as a means of motivating your protagonist — especially if that character belongs to a historically marginalized community. (See “fridging” aka “Women in Refrigerators.”)

Raise the stakes

One of the most meaningful ways a character’s death can impact a story is to raise the stakes. This makes sense: Whatever threats your characters have been facing in your story so far are for the most part theoretical until one of them dies. It’s a whole new ballgame when a beloved character dies and your readers realize that no one is safe.

I’ll never forget how stunned I was when Cedric Diggory was killed in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. This series, which until then had been a light-hearted romp of a children’s adventure, suddenly took a left turn into a much darker (and more interesting) place. Before this point, the only “on-screen” character death was Professor Quirrell, who died in the first book. And he didn’t really “count” as he was the Big Bad Villain. But when Cedric Diggory — a student — wasn’t just killed but was murdered, suddenly the stakes skyrocketed, and in a way I wasn’t expecting. It was a turning point in the whole series.

Turn the story in a new direction

Speaking of turning points, killing a character can be a powerful pivot point for your plot. The classic example of this is in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho.

The plot follows Marion Crane for the first half of the movie. If you knew nothing about the movie going in, you might think she, thanks to her erratic behavior, was the titular character. Then she takes a shower and she — and the rest — is history. This death scene shocked audiences at the time, and for good reason: The star of the movie had just been killed less than halfway in! Who knew where the movie was going to go from that point on.

Wes Craven’s hit film Scream featured another shocking death when one of the stars of the movie, Drew Barrymore, was killed in the first scene. From that point on, audiences knew no one was safe.

Develop other characters

For a character death to be meaningful, your other surviving characters — especially your protagonist — need to mourn them. This can be a revealing moment for your protagonist, deepening their character. One of the classic tropes of the hero’s journey is the death of a mentor figure. The mentor must die for the hero to come into their own.

Consider the deaths of Obi-Wan in Star Wars and Dumbledore in Harry Potter. After all, if Obi-Wan or Dumbledore didn’t die, then Luke and Harry would never have to chance to truly become a hero because the mentor would have been there to fight their battles for them.

Illustrate your theme

The death of a character can help to illustrate your theme. This is especially common in war movies, often used to show the horror of war or the cruelty of man.

At the end of season three of the TV show M*A*S*H, for example, Henry Blake leaves Korea to go home to his family. Only after he’s gone do we hear that his plane was shot down and he was killed. This news shocked audiences — no character in a half-hour sitcom had ever died before — and it marked a turning point in the series, which became darker and more serious.

Death can fulfill a character arc

Characters should change over the course of your story, and sometimes that means dying as a result. Consider the character Spike in the TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Spike’s arc is one of redemption, and he fulfills that arc by sacrificing himself in the final episode.

Often, characters have a fatal flaw, which didn’t get that name solely for its alliterative nature. Game of Throne’s Ned Stark, for example, was a heroic and noble figure, but he was also naïve — he had no idea of how to play the titular game of thrones — and that proved to be his downfall (and another example of how no character in the series was safe).

Tips for writing a meaningful character death

Don’t do it just to be cruel

It’s usually a good idea to make things hard for your protagonist, but being cruel just for the sake of it, or as an ironic twist, is a surefire way to upset your readers.

Make sure the death is justified by the plot

If the character’s death isn’t driving your story forward, developing your other characters, or advancing your theme, then you may want to reconsider killing that character.

Consider the much-hated finale of the long-running sitcom How I Met Your Mother. Over the course of nine seasons, we follow Ted Mosby on his winding journey to meet his kid’s mother. And then, in the final moments of the finale, it’s revealed that, oh yeah, she died, and now Ted’s going to go hit on the woman he was pining over for most of the series. (And it’s even dumber than my simple summary can do justice.) It was a death that seemed to betray the entire show’s backstory. In fact, it was so bad that the producers wound up shooting an alternate ending for the DVD release.

A character’s death can be a powerful driver for your story, it can shock your readers, and it can help you develop your characters and your theme. If you’re considering any character death ideas for your story, just make sure you take it seriously and make it meaningful.

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This BookBaby blog article A Character Death: Ideas to Further Your Plot appeared first on and was stolen from BookBaby Blog .

By BookBaby author Lauren Davish

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

When writing characters for your story, the protagonist and the antagonist may naturally be the first you create. The conflict between the protagonist vs. antagonist is a tale as old as time: the protagonist needs to solve the issue created or propelled by the antagonist, and within that conflict we enjoy character development, plot lines thickening, and, ultimately, resolution. It seems simple enough: the good guy fights the bad guy and comes out victorious.

But what are the actual roles of these main characters and how can we write the hero and villain of our story in a way that’s captivating and engaging? Let’s dig into the details of protagonist vs. antagonist.

What is a protagonist?

A protagonist is the driving force behind the story’s plot. They’re often portrayed as the hero/heroine and are at the heart of the narrative. A compelling protagonist typically faces some type of conflict or challenge that they must overcome while readers follow along to see their growth, lessons learned, and overall character arc. We typically see the story through the protagonist’s point of view, whether it’s written in first or third person.

Types of protagonists

Protagonists come in shapes and sizes. There can be multiple protagonists in your story, like the iconic trio in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series. Many will follow conventional archetypes and can be what we might stereotypically think of as the main character of a story; others might surprise us.

• Classic hero. The classic hero is that stereotypical main character that exudes bravery and valor, strength, and nobility. While they may have their flaws and downsides, the classic hero story never fails to please.
• Antihero. An antihero is often blatantly flawed and complex, as well as morally ambiguous. However, when they become faced with the conflict of the story, we find that we empathize with them and are rooting for them to win.
• Ordinary people. Sometimes the most compelling protagonists are just ordinary people. These main characters can be very relatable to readers in the way they navigate conflict. While “ordinary,” these can sometimes be the most complex characters in how they are portrayed through dialogue, personality quirks, etc.
• Unreliable narrator. With an unreliable narrator, readers may question the plot entirely as they read the story through the protagonist’s skewed lens and biases. Used adeptly, this adds to the suspense of the story and ultimately can create a more complex, interesting protagonist and story.
• Villains as protagonists. Speaking of complex and interesting, some of the most beloved protagonists of stories also double as the villains. This choice in protagonist can provide a sense of humanity that exists within otherwise bad actors, adding another layer of depth to the plot.

Examples of iconic protagonists

1. Jay Gatsby from The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
2. Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
3. Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
4. Lisbeth Salander from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
5. Frodo Baggins from The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

What is an antagonist?

The antagonist directly opposes the protagonist. They create the conflict — or are at least part of the conflict — that the protagonist is facing. While stereotypically perceived as the villain of the story, they don’t necessarily have to be; in fact, the antagonist doesn’t have to be a human being at all!

Types of antagonists

Antagonists can come in various forms, and not just human (or, even a character like a fairy, dragon, etc.). You can even have multiple antagonists tied to your central character that impacts their development and journey. Let’s look at some common antagonists you might find.

• Physical antagonist. This type of antagonist presents as physical conflict against the protagonist. This can be in the form of physical combat via the story’s villain or a literal external obstacle. Natural disasters can fall under this category, as well.
• Psychological antagonist. Psychological antagonists operate just as you’d imagine: they challenge the protagonist’s mental and emotional wellbeing. They may be manipulative or play mind games with the main character. Additionally, the main character’s own personal fears or trauma can serve as this type of antagonist.
• Social antagonist. Opposing forces within society create social antagonists. These can include oppressive systems, prejudiced communities, or societal “norms” that create a challenge the protagonist must navigate.
• Supernatural antagonist. These antagonists include anything that’s beyond the physical world we live in: vampires, aliens, werewolves, ancient curses, etc.
• Internal antagonist. Internal antagonists involve any inner struggle that the protagonist is facing. Their own insecurities, fears, or doubts that may create more conflict and add to the narrative and character’s overall growth can serve as an inner antagonist.

Examples of iconic antagonists

1. The White Witch from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
2. Victor Frankenstein from Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
3. Anton Chigurh from No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy
4. Sauron from The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
5. Nurse Ratched from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey

How to create complex and compelling protagonists and antagonists

Creating complex protagonists and antagonists involves creating a balance of depth, relatability, and authenticity. Be sure to give them clearly defined goals and motivations while also emphasizing their flaws. Understand and convey their fears and desires on the page, which will also support their conflict with one another and the overall plot.

The conflict between your protagonist vs. antagonist will ultimately propel your story. The more nuanced and layered the conflict is, the more your readers will be engaged — the more complex you create your individual characters, the more the conflict will be apparent to your reader.

Perhaps most important is to allow your characters to grow and change throughout the story. Both protagonists and antagonists can undergo huge transitions, adding to the depth of the plot and creating a more interesting resolution. While you will need both round and flat characters throughout your story, your main characters need complexity.

Tips for writing effective protagonists

• Make your protagonist someone the reader can root for. Develop complex but relatable character traits to establish an emotional investment and keep your reader engaged.
• Give your protagonist a clear goal. Be sure to convey the protagonist’s goal early on — overcoming a personal obstacle, seeking justice, pursuing a lifelong dream, etc.
• Allow your protagonist to grow and change. This may be a shift in perspective, personal growth, or a drastic transformation, but having growth and change throughout the story creates an engaging and compelling character arc.

Tips for writing effective antagonists

• Give your antagonist a clear motivation for their actions. Whether it’s their own power struggle, a version of justice they are seeking, or some other clearly defined motivator, be sure to convey their “why” to add complexity and believability to their character.
• Make your antagonist relatable. Relatability is key for antagonists, too. Your reader needs to understand, even sympathize, with why your antagonist acts the way they do.
• Don’t make your antagonist too evil or one-dimensional. Dig into your antagonist’s motivations and drive for the lack of their moral compass. Define their own personal stakes, as well as their fears, insecurities, internal conflicts, and vulnerabilities.

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This BookBaby blog article Protagonist vs. Antagonist: A Guide to Writing Characters appeared first on and was stolen from BookBaby Blog .