Making yourself binge-worthy.

So, how do you keep people reading what you’ve written? Lord knows, this is a question I have asked myself many times.

As an author with a handful of books out there in the ether, I can only know whether the stories are working if the people reading them leave reviews. The awful truth is – a lot of people don’t and so, a lot of the time, it does feel like flying blind.

However, as in the last tip, there are tried and tested methods of making your books more readable. Now, readable is an awful word, rather similar to edible. There’s no compliment there. That said, I can’t say I’ve implemented any of the advice I have gleaned in the course of studying up on this very important subject – Making Yourself Binge-Worthy – so I do feel the need to temper all our expectations.

Things that turn people off a book:

1. Flowery words, endless descriptions, words they have to look up (I am guilty of all of these)

2. Head-hopping i.e. not staying inside one character’s head but rather skipping about at will (yup, I’ve done that, too)

3. Waffling on and failing to get to the next bit of action (honestly, just lock me up now)

4. Getting more complicated than you really need to (dammit)

5. Thinking you’re smarter than the reader (finally! I have never done that)

So, save yourself a lot of difficulty and the embarrassment of reading the mistakes you have made by getting hold of this little book and learning every damn thing in it.
Book Review – Mark Dawson’s Writing A Page Turner

First published, 2017

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Brilliant. This is the book that all writers should read. Every single one.

It’s very tempting to go floral and lyrical in your writing, especially in the beginning, but it can be book-death for the new author. This is the guide that will keep the action moving, maintain the POV and keep the story engaging all the way through.

I found myself highlighting passages from start to finish. I practically coloured in the whole book. An absolute must for any author. Highly recommended.

https://amzn.to/2OcanAC