man on cliff

Do you want to write a bestseller? Do you want fame and fortune and the respect that comes with writing a great novel?

It is not impossible, but it isn’t easy either.

The first wrong thing newbie writers tend to do when they begin writing a novel is they write too much action. They litter every page with major conflict and it bores the hell out of the reader. They know their story. However, when they go to write it, it doesn’t come out the way they had planned. This is all too common—even with seasoned writers. A big difference that separates seasoned writers and novice writers, is that they know what works and what doesn’t before they begin.

Follow along as I tell you some simple methods that you should have to compete with the other bestsellers. Through hard work and years of writing, through mistakes and eventual progress, I have learned how to turn a single idea into an elaborate and thought-out story. Read more to learn the steps to turning your hazy idea into a critical and commercial bestseller.

Traits of a Bestseller

The very first thing you should have realized is what type of bestselling author do you want to be? Do you want to be critically praised and win literary awards and earn respect in the writing field? Or do you want to be commercially successful and earn money?

To a new writer, this difference might never have been brought up before. Many people just automatically assume that bestsellers rightfully have both—-well, they don’t. Not usually, anyway.

I guarantee the “bestseller” that you are picturing is one that has sold millions of copies. Right? Yup. Well, that is…

The Commercial Appeal of a Bestseller

Well, to write a commercial bestseller, there are certain requirements you must have in your story. They range from an already big audience, dialogue, and thrilling scenes that promise an unforgettable ending. Now, bestsellers do not have to possess all 3 to be successful, but you should try to get them all, especially the first.

  • A proper audience

    • Without an audience, the Twighlight series, the Game of Thrones series, the Harry Potter series, and countless others in those genres would never have succeeded.
    • If you plan in writing a bestseller, you should already know what your audience is looking for in a story and have that be the primary focus.
    • If a story is about magic, then have the characters routinely express magic, etc.
    • This satisfies the audience for a while as you navigate through other topics, like plot and character arc.

  • Dialogue

    • Never have I read a hit thriller without an overload of dialogue. Usually, the dialogue is the main focus in these commercial bestsellers. They skimp on the large paragraphs of narration.
    • Dialogue in commercial bestsellers moves the story quickly. It keeps the reader turning the pages, keeping them invested.
    • The dialogue in commercial fiction is hardly used to provide insight into character, but more to move the plot forward. Layers of subtext within dialogue aren’t typically seen in commercial fiction.

  • Explosive Scenes

    • Thrillers and mysteries tend (and should) to have more than one action scene that breaks up the pages of dialogue.
    • These scenes are usually set in pace with the story. Not too often or else you will lose the reader.
    • These scenes definitely come at the finale of the story. This is the end scene where the good guy fights the bad guy. Literary fiction (serious fiction) will hardly ever have explosions and bombs and gunplay throughout the novel, nevermind at the ending. Check out my services page and check out the clip below:
Smile you son of a bitch!

The Respect of a Bestseller

When I have given lectures in the past about bestsellers, the moment I say that “respect” belongs in a novel the audience seems to get boggled. It is as if respect is a distant-cousin-twice-removed when analyzing literature. You might figure that any published novel gets your respect. And that is true. But when I say respect, I am coming from a critical perspective. This is where the literary snobs will judge you because of your lack of character depth and boring prose.

To create a bestseller, your novel should have both commercial appeal and respect as an artist.

  • Prose

    • Ah yes, the voice, the way the author writes his or her words in a sentence. It may seem trivial to a beginner, but I preach to you it is not. Incredible prose isn’t something that is developed overnight. Beautiful prose is learned and practiced.
    • Straightforward prose, of say, Hemingway, is nice, too. However, such blunt sentences that get straight to the point may not make for a delightful read. It is the beauty within the sentence, the poetry of the words that separate authors from one another. Read these this author and this author who have great prose.
    • Being that the words are the first thing a reader will see of your work, I implore that any new writer practices writing the same sentence from 3 different ways. This will develop your mind to come at writing from different angles. Make your prose stand out. Own it.

  • Character depth

    • Well developed characters are the deciding factor when earning respect as a writer.
    • To read even the first 20 pages, and see how the author gets inside of the character’s mind is pivotal to maintaining the immediate interest of the reader, as well as gaining a fan for life.
    • Respect of a writer comes from the ability to describe a character without using too many words. They can make a character jump off the page by utilizing just enough gestures and outside details to make them seem alive.
    • Inner monologue: If you haven’t mastered this trait, then go home. Whether its inner monologue of a character or a close narrator who is doing the guiding of a novel, knowing what your character is thinking is the most critical trait you can have. It is a deal-breaker for me. Every novel I have read on my shelf is by an author who has the ability to get deep inside the character’s mind. I want to know the character. 
...although I have a slightly better haircut.

If you are new to the creative writing world, then I suggest you start off with the easy tasks first. Begin with developing prose of your own. Don’t copy someone else. Learn from them, but don’t copy them. Next, learn how to develop good characters. Know everything about them before you begin writing. Make a character sketch. Hang up pictures around your writing desk to remind you what your character looks like. Keep a list of what they like and don’t like. Next, know the story you want to tell so your audience doesn’t turn their backs on you.

If you want to read more about developing characters, you can check out the other article I wrote about making realistic characters. For a great piece on dialogue that will answer any questions, read here.

Here is another fine link for writing a bestseller.

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And if you need your own story personally reviewed, check out my service page for professional editing.

If you want to amplify the suspense in your short story or your novel, you can purchase my eBook here. 

Keep writing!

~M