How to Write an Entertaining Book
Sketch out a plan for your story., Choose the genre of your book., Create the main characters., Write your introduction., Keep your audience interested in the plot., Keep your writing entertaining., Choose a title that sounds interesting and pulls...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Sketch out a plan for your story.
Think about the plot first.
You don't have to have every tiny detail planned out; all you need is simple bullet points reminding you about the characters, problems, solutions, and setting.
Whether you like outlines, diagrams, or sketches, come up with a general plan for your story and write it out so that you can reference it later. -
Step 2: Choose the genre of your book.
Think carefully about this because this is undoubtedly one of the biggest factors in your book, as it will guide your plot, characters, and writing style.
Think about what your favorite genres are when reading, and consider the kind of story you want to write.
There are huge differences between science fiction, memoir, and historical fiction, for example, so it's important to choose the genre that best fits the story.
Bear in mind that no matter what you choose, there will always be a group of people that are interested.
Don't be afraid to combine genres or choose more than one.
Some of the most interesting and entertaining stories out there are combinations of fantasy and historical fiction or realism and sci fi. , Choose their names and basic descriptions first, and then begin to flesh them out.
The best writers think of almost everything about their main characters, about their qualms, traits, hobbies, likes and dislikes, and everything.
They create a fictional living being in their minds.
Even though some traits may not be expressed in the book, doing this will help you understand your characters so that they come across as more authentic. , This is where you explain anything your readers will need to know before they can understand the rest of your story.
If your book has an extensive backstory (a war, the dynastic succession, details about the setting, etc.), explain it here.
Alternatively, use it as a hook to get your reader interested.
Inform them of what is about to happen in broad and mysterious terms, or tell them something that happens in the middle or at the end.
You must give some information to the reader to get them hooked on, but not enough so that you spill all the beans on the first page itself.
It's often effective, particularly in fantasy books, to have an explicit introduction before the book begins.
However, you can integrate this information into the story itself if that works better for you. , Make sure the plot stays intriguing as you go along, rather than getting boring as characters stall in their quests or wait for something exciting to happen.
To keep your plot interesting, consider introducing a big mystery for the characters to solve, adding surprising plot twists, or simply shortening your book so that it doesn't have time to get boring. , You can have the most exciting of plots and the most interesting of characters, but if your writing style is dull or boring, your book will be, too.
Spice up your writing by adding jokes or other humor, using surprising metaphors in your descriptions, or leaving each chapter on a cliffhanger and then resume the story in the next one. , The title can be vaguely related to the plot or main character, or use something cryptic, a spin on a well-known quote, or a made-up word.
Make sure the title fits your novel, but above all, it should be interesting enough to pull your readers in and make them want to read the book. , Do not leave any holes and gaps in your book.
Tie up any loose ends, and settle all the story lines and secondary plots you may have created in the course of writing your book.
This will leave your readers satisfied and happy with your book.
If you want to write a sequel, you may choose to leave some loose ends.
Don't quite resolve a relationship between two characters, or simply banish without killing the villain, leaving the door open for a resurgence.
This will keep your readers interested so that they want to read the next one. , Generally a novel will not contain many illustrations.
However, adding one will make your book exciting to read and will give the readers something to think about.
An illustration will often catch the eye of a reader first, so strategically placing illustrations at various points in the book may make its read-value go up significantly. , If you've written a long novel then this may be difficult to do all by your self.
You may want to take help from a computer or a few of your friends.
Proof-reading should be done lots of times to remove every single error that may pop up.
Distinguished authors get their books proof-read several dozens of times. , Ask a few of your friends and family to try out your book.
If you get positive feedback then consider publishing your book, or writing more. -
Step 3: Create the main characters.
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Step 4: Write your introduction.
-
Step 5: Keep your audience interested in the plot.
-
Step 6: Keep your writing entertaining.
-
Step 7: Choose a title that sounds interesting and pulls reader in.
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Step 8: Finish the book.
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Step 9: Illustrate your book if desired.
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Step 10: Proof-read your book.
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Step 11: Read it and share it.
Detailed Guide
Think about the plot first.
You don't have to have every tiny detail planned out; all you need is simple bullet points reminding you about the characters, problems, solutions, and setting.
Whether you like outlines, diagrams, or sketches, come up with a general plan for your story and write it out so that you can reference it later.
Think carefully about this because this is undoubtedly one of the biggest factors in your book, as it will guide your plot, characters, and writing style.
Think about what your favorite genres are when reading, and consider the kind of story you want to write.
There are huge differences between science fiction, memoir, and historical fiction, for example, so it's important to choose the genre that best fits the story.
Bear in mind that no matter what you choose, there will always be a group of people that are interested.
Don't be afraid to combine genres or choose more than one.
Some of the most interesting and entertaining stories out there are combinations of fantasy and historical fiction or realism and sci fi. , Choose their names and basic descriptions first, and then begin to flesh them out.
The best writers think of almost everything about their main characters, about their qualms, traits, hobbies, likes and dislikes, and everything.
They create a fictional living being in their minds.
Even though some traits may not be expressed in the book, doing this will help you understand your characters so that they come across as more authentic. , This is where you explain anything your readers will need to know before they can understand the rest of your story.
If your book has an extensive backstory (a war, the dynastic succession, details about the setting, etc.), explain it here.
Alternatively, use it as a hook to get your reader interested.
Inform them of what is about to happen in broad and mysterious terms, or tell them something that happens in the middle or at the end.
You must give some information to the reader to get them hooked on, but not enough so that you spill all the beans on the first page itself.
It's often effective, particularly in fantasy books, to have an explicit introduction before the book begins.
However, you can integrate this information into the story itself if that works better for you. , Make sure the plot stays intriguing as you go along, rather than getting boring as characters stall in their quests or wait for something exciting to happen.
To keep your plot interesting, consider introducing a big mystery for the characters to solve, adding surprising plot twists, or simply shortening your book so that it doesn't have time to get boring. , You can have the most exciting of plots and the most interesting of characters, but if your writing style is dull or boring, your book will be, too.
Spice up your writing by adding jokes or other humor, using surprising metaphors in your descriptions, or leaving each chapter on a cliffhanger and then resume the story in the next one. , The title can be vaguely related to the plot or main character, or use something cryptic, a spin on a well-known quote, or a made-up word.
Make sure the title fits your novel, but above all, it should be interesting enough to pull your readers in and make them want to read the book. , Do not leave any holes and gaps in your book.
Tie up any loose ends, and settle all the story lines and secondary plots you may have created in the course of writing your book.
This will leave your readers satisfied and happy with your book.
If you want to write a sequel, you may choose to leave some loose ends.
Don't quite resolve a relationship between two characters, or simply banish without killing the villain, leaving the door open for a resurgence.
This will keep your readers interested so that they want to read the next one. , Generally a novel will not contain many illustrations.
However, adding one will make your book exciting to read and will give the readers something to think about.
An illustration will often catch the eye of a reader first, so strategically placing illustrations at various points in the book may make its read-value go up significantly. , If you've written a long novel then this may be difficult to do all by your self.
You may want to take help from a computer or a few of your friends.
Proof-reading should be done lots of times to remove every single error that may pop up.
Distinguished authors get their books proof-read several dozens of times. , Ask a few of your friends and family to try out your book.
If you get positive feedback then consider publishing your book, or writing more.
About the Author
Tyler Ryan
Brings years of experience writing about crafts and related subjects.
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