Writing A Good Book

Writing Guidelines

Writers don't like rules, no creative person does, but there are still some guidelines you should follow. They aren't any hard of easy rules that differentiate an excellent book from a terrible book. But it doesn't stop you from improving your chance of writing a successful story by avoiding some of the most common mistakes. These are some things to think about while writing your story: 

Information Dumps

This is one of the biggest mistakes authors make, information dumping. Don't tell the reader things you think he needs to know about your story when the story starts. Spending the first three pages describing the characters and action before anything happens is boring. Period. No one likes to read a three-page essay on how Jessica's blond hair shone underneath the light and sparkled like gold.

Trick Endings

You aren't O. Henry! No one likes to read a whole novel about an interesting new world and then find out it was all a dream, told from the point of view of an alien or a story by someone's grandma. During O.Henry's time, he was famous for his surprise ending but now it's just cliche and most of all annoying. 

Simple Words

I know you think floral, elevated, sophisticated words or language no one understands make a story interesting. It doesn't. If your setting (time) doesn't depend on having sophisticated words then you don't need it. Keep things short and simple. 

Info Dump II; Dialogue

Avoid information dumping in the dialogue. The narration should be used to tell readers basic things all the characters should know. It should provide information about the characters' struggles, or relationships but not facts about the story or character descriptions. Example: A character should never say, "Jessica, I know you are twenty years old, with blue eyes and blond hair. I know your 5ft 7 inches tall and this is your last year of high school after repeating 4th grade 2 times ... " It's something all the characters know. 

Clear stakes

Keep the stakes of the story clear. Any reader should be able to answer "What's at stake?" while he's reading your story and after he's done. If a reader finishes the story and has no idea what was at stake, then the story has failed.