I love our world, mainly because it’s filled with people with various perspectives. Our brains are wired in different ways so we might see something that our neighbor doesn’t and vice versa. That’s where this post comes into play, giving you guys insight into how I tell a story.
Novel writing can become formulaic. Get a plot, throw in some characters, do a little editing, and once you’re done, publish it on Amazon. Easy. I followed this pattern (minus publishing) up until my recent book. Foresight presented a problem: I need more story, but I’ve said everything that needs to be said. Writer’s block was imminent when I fell into what I’ll call “Reader Syndrome.” This is where you’re no longer the writer but a witness, a reader experiencing the story for the first time.
Being more aware of this subconscious shift, I think I can explain what it is and how to use it.
Flex your Story Outline
I think all writers who avoid planning at the start come with an advantage for Reader Syndrome. The idea is that you start with a group of characters and a problem, and then write from there. Pure intuition, basically. I personally would day dream different parts of the story, and so my goal was to connect each dot as I went along.
Story outlines, however, are very important. A great plot can become sludge if you lose track with characters ambling about and having pointless conversations. Obviously these things could get cut later, but better to have a basic outline that gives you point A and B.
So why flex? Well, without giving too much away, my book had my main character getting captured and her partner coming to rescue her. Diving into the story, I realized my protagonist needed her moment to make a decision rather than be a doll tossed around. I also recognized that a certain chain of events didn’t fit or use the characters properly. My entire ending changed, her partner captured and my main character deciding whether to brave danger or run away.
Holding onto an outline like a lifeline can restrict your story from hitting the potential it needs. Sometimes the story should lead the charge, not the outline. And you can usually tell where the deviation comes by looking at the characters.
Listen to the Characters
I’m very people-oriented, so it’s not hard for me to care about characters. In fact, I enjoy writing characters because, unlike people, I can dive deeper into their thought processes. I judge a lot of books and movies based on the protagonists and antagonists. Did I relate to them? Did I care about their problems? Were they likeable/despicable? Great characters, whether good or evil, will leave an imprint.
Character writing is also formulaic. If the number of blog posts on the web don’t convince you, check out DnD character sheets. There’s a lot to consider when crafting a character, mainly because you’re creating a person. What DnD adds to the equation is roleplay. The characters are alive; you get into their heads and take on their personalities, becoming someone completely new. They can even die.
Now I’m not suggesting you go full-blown cosplay, but enter your character’s mind. My best protagonists are the ones I spent time with, inside and outside of the story. This is how I found out my mute heroine, who had been moved like a puppet for most her life, needed a moment to make her own choice. To take hold of the purpose she had all along but didn’t recognize. Same for my classic brute; I had one snippet of good shown, but he had more personality to give and more words to say. In the end, while still a side character, he’s much more likeable.
Characters don’t always have your tone or opinion. Rather than force yourself into their actions, jump into their shoes. Let the description you wrote guide your thinking so we might see differentiated characters rather than the same personality playing dress-up.
Focus on the End Goal
My brain is a literal city of just thoughts. Even if one idea talks louder than the others, I can quickly shift from the present to whatever story I want to explore. I think in movie scenes, hitting rewind and play on dozens of moments between characters that don’t exactly make sense. And that’s the problem when you sit to write; not every idea works for the story’s benefit.
The end goal is important to determine from the get go. Even if how you get there changes, the final result needs to be the realization of your theme, character development, and problem solution. Seems like a tall order when your protagonists are saying one thing and the outline is going someplace else.
Reader Syndrome utilizes the mind of a blind reader. Yeah, you don’t know what’s coming in the story, but from the beginning, you know the end goal. The rebels need to win this battle. The beast needs to learn compassion to break the curse. If the end goal comes out of left field, then you didn’t set up the reader properly. Subplots can come in, but the main plot needs to be fulfilled.
Keeping an eye on that final result directs your story. As you flex with the steps and learn from your characters, the goal gets clearer. It restrains your creative focus so you might purposefully play with what’s to come.
Final Thoughts: Why Try This?
Sometimes I read a book and wonder why the writer thought it was good. Void of plot, protagonists with underused potential. In the world of self-publishing, you have to wonder if the writer wrote for themselves, not an audience.
And I can honestly say yes. Writers are readers too, but we can get so involved in the story that we forget to tell it in a way that readers understand. We know what’s going on and we see the connections, but others don’t.
Reader Syndrome let’s the writer look at the story with fresh eyes. As if the idea weren’t ours in the first place. A reader’s perspective differs from a writer’s, but a writer can learn from what a reader sees. Taking on a new perspective and allowing the story to tell itself will open your eyes to something completely new from what you initially imagined.