Shaun Meeks's Blog - Posts Tagged "books"

There are a lot of elements that can make or break a book. Terrible dialogue, unlikable characters, predictable story, but the one thing that can truly destroy a successful book is an unsuccessful ending. You could be reading a mediocre book, but when you get to the end and it hits a home run, you will walk away satisfied. On the other hand, when you read a great book that has a terrible ending, it ruins the whole experience. For me, as a writer, there are certain things I always try to do when I come up with an ending for my novels and my short stories.
One thing to do is to try and stay away from an ending that is so typical, one that the reader will see coming a mile away. Give them a hint or two of where you are going, then flip it on them and give them something else.
The next thing is that you don't always have to give them a happy ending. Sure people love those endings where everyone wins and evil loses, but some of the greatest and most memorable stories are tragic. Don't be afraid of hurting people's feelings or be called a nihilist, give them a bit of darkness. After all, letting something bad happen to a main character can do two things to some readers; make them care more for them, and appreciate their own lives. Might sound silly, but it's true.
A big one for me is to try and stay away from what I call "The Dean Koontz Solution". What that is, is when you solve the major problem, save the day and defeat the enemy with a gun. The gun is just too easy, a cop out in a way that is starting to be a cliché as "and then he woke up". Try and be original and the read will respect it more.
Also, make it believable. Ask yourself, if you were that character, would you do that? Does it seem dumb or something no rational person would do? Ask your friends if you can't be objective.
And last, end with a punch. The last line should be memorable, something that echoes after the reader closes the book. Don't rush it and don't drag it out, but try to find that great closer than makes you feel as though you nailed it.

There's an old saying, "never judge a book by its cover", but in this day and age of self publishing, I really think you do need to. As a writer, you have to look at the work you are presenting as a whole, not just the story. Readers and consumers in general use sight more than any of the other sense when picking out products. People look at what is in front of them and if it appeals to them they might choose it, but if there is no appeal, nothing that grabs your attention, they will simply walk away from it without even looking to see what might be inside. If, as a writer, you decide to go down the path of self-publishing as a first step, this is something you need to consider. For the most part, you must be your own editor, your own designer and your own marketing director. And in those roles, you need to take care and assure that everything you do is appealing or nobody aside from friends and family will ever touch your book.
Lately I have seen some terrible book covers, from self published writers and from indie presses. Some are bad and others are so bad they make me wonder who told them this was a good idea. I will not name names or even book titles, but we've all seen them. Some are terrible digital art pieces, others are pictures drawn in crayon and poorly photographed and not edited at all. Having these poorly conceived covers makes readers think, in my experience, think that there is nothing worthwhile inside as the writer or publisher just didn't give a damn about what they were putting out on the market.
The cover is your first impression, remember that when coming up with a concept. It doesn't have to be some huge, over the top, grandiose idea, sometime simplicity is just as good. Look at some covers for your favorite books, find art and pictures that inspire you and in turn you can use that inspiration towards your cover to inspire people to pick up your book and read it.