What NOT to do When Writing - WHEN BAD BOOKS ATTACK!!

In Which Characters are Important [I Am Number Four]

If you ever want a good laugh or are just plain bored - OR - if you want to know what NOT to do when writing, go read the goodread reviews for "I Am Number Four" and have a ball!

Seriously, people. I couldn't agree with those reviews more. I know the movie was good, but I read the book once on a road trip and, well... I think watching the cows pass by through the window was more interesting.

This guy named Pitticus Lore had an amazing concept, but he did absolutely nothing with it! So there's this alien boy on the run, scary bad guys chasing him, so he goes to a small town where he meets small people and blends in. However, this wouldn't have been so bad if he made the characters actually interesting.

GUYS. CHARACTERS ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS IN YOUR BOOK.

I couldn't stress this enough! And if you want proof, go read this book "I Am Number Four" and understand that without people you love and admire for their unique and quirky qualities, then a story is dull and uneventful. Think of it like life. You have two friends. One is a genius playboy billionaire philanthropist and the other is John Smith, that guy who drinks black coffee in the shop every morning, goes to work pushing paper and then comes home and watches the news. If you met both of these people at the coffee shop, knowing who they were, then who would you rather interview? Or better yet, who would you rather be best friends with?

Here's a bit of psychology for you.... have you ever wondered why opposites attract? Or better yet, why do certain characters in a book interest you? It's romantic, really. No, not romantic romantic, but in the sense that it's exciting and interesting. We like certain types of people because they're not like ourselves. They're different, they're the person you aspire to be, they're a brilliant color in a world that's black and white. So if you sit down and write a story about Mary Sue or John Smith then, well, you're writing a story that most people became bored with 200 years ago (the dawn of creative fiction).

You HAVE to make your characters unique. Sure, they can be a typical person, but not every Jane Doe likes olives on their pizza or walking in mud. So if you're writing a scene where there's a pizza party or the MC gets invited to go mud sledding, then please, take the five minutes to write two or three sentences about how your MC feels about whatever unique trait you give them. It makes the character real and relatable, and details like this are essential to a good story.

All in all, reading a story is like a commitment. You're committing valuable time and emotions to these people on a page, and if you don't like them, then it's less likely that you'll enjoy hearing what they have to say.

SO! Back to the topic at hand! Please, if you want to be a great writer, take notes from Mr. Pitticus Lore :)

EDIT: Wow I forgot the goodreads link.... here you go! The link can also be found through the external link on the right :)

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7747374-i-am-number-four