Would you "swipe right" on your book?
If your book were on Tinder, would you swipe right?
Everybody is talking about the Tinder app lately – even Hillary Duff is on there chatting now. But what if your book had access to Tinder? What if your book had a profile? Do you think people would swipe right?When you’re putting a novel together, you want to make it fantastic, as we all do. Well, to turn out quality that would make people want to buy it, you should keep in mind a few key elements that will make sure everyone will want to swipe right on your next title!
Conflict – it’s not necessary to have crazy things like drive by’s on every other page, but keeping the plot going by having a ‘driving’ conflict for the characters to be challenged by helps keep a readers interest! (no pun intended, haha)
Pace – Keeping the story moving keeps the reader from falling asleep. Again, there doesn’t need to be explosions or violent murders on every page, but a steady pace helps avoid the ‘rollercoaster effect’ where there’s a bunch of action in one chapter, and then nothing going on for the next three chapters. Find where some sections can be abbreviated to keep the plot moving forward.
Dialogue – Working to give each character their own ‘voice’ while keeping the general narration of the plot separate helps to breathe life into your characters. If they use slang, that’s great but don’t spread the slang throughout the narration itself. Keep it to one or two characters to give things real ‘pop’.
Imagery – It’s not necessary to describe the shade of every freckle on every character’s face, but by paying attention to an overall picture of the setting, you draw the reader in. Remember, you might be able to vividly see the setting in your mind because it’s your world you’ve created, but we’re new here. Show us around!
The bonus thought to remember, your ace in the hole (so to speak), is relevance. Make your novel matter to the reader. Skip the overuse of cliché and weave multiple plots to bring your reader a fresh surprise at the turn of a page. Being able to step back and look at how your book might mirror others in your genre will help you reach for that unexpected twist that will make it stand out. Always write for yourself (don’t be a sellout) but keep in mind that it’s about what they want to hear, not what you want to say!
What do you think of the Tinder craze? Are you on the app? I'd love to hear your thoughts!
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