:: three tips for writing unique books ::
Don't you love it when a book is so different from anything you've ever read, yet so compelling and enticing that you just can't put it down?
Today I'm going to give you some tips on writing a unique book. Please note that these aren't ride or die tips, or must-haves. Every writer is different. This has been my own personal experience with writing my trilogy.
#1: Combine more than one genre
Ooh, bold move am I right? But cross-genre books are becoming more and more popular. Blurring lines between two different genres is so fun to do.
Using my book, How We Rise as an example, I took dystopian and contemporary, mashed them together, and my precious baby was born. So many genre lines can be blurred and it's so fun to do that. You can take fantasy magic and put it in the modern day world (aka The Raven Cycle, which I'm still reading and screaming about), or you can take a classic and make it something new (aka the retelling of the Greek myth, Orpheus and Eurydice, in Hadestown. Not a book, I know, but still a good example.)
Mashing up genres is not only fun, it can help put a unique spin to any story.
#2: Make your villain someone to sympathize with
Quite an evil thing to do to your readers is giving them a villain that they can actually relate to. Make them do the wrong things for the right reasons. Make them have hard decisions that people would suffer trying to make.
Make your villain human. No one truly realizes they are the bad guy. Everyone is the main character in their own story, and your villain is truly only seeing his side of things. So make him think he's doing the right thing.
Not only does that make him more hated, it makes him more loved. Confused? Readers will hate the decisions your bad guy makes, but when they think about the hard reality of if they had to make the same choice... what would THEY do?
It's a brilliant way to make your book unique. Blur the lines between good and evil, while still having some distinction.
#3: Bend the regular roles of characters
Okay, okay, this one is a little out there. But imagine writing a book from the bad guy's POV (point of view). Imagine you're following along with everything the villain is doing. And he's morally gray. And he's doing the wrong things for the right reasons.
And near the end, you learn he's the bad guy. And he's been fighting against the real hero all along.
Bending the roles and leaving your readers stunned is a surefire way to really shaking up a book's plot and premise.
You make the rules to any book you write.
So those are my top tips to shaking up the book industry. No go forth and write amazing books!
What unique things do you like
to do with your books? What are some
books you've read that apply these same
themes?
Let's talk!
stay amazing!
~ Brooke
14 comments
EEEEEEP I LOVE ALL OF THIS SO MUCH!!!!!
ReplyDeleteTRC is just brilliant. You know how I love mixing genres ;)
And all of this just made my heart happy.
Love you, boo! <3 <3 <3
ACCCK MY BOO THANK YOUUUU
Deleteyessss. Of course I do ;)
I'm so happy it made you happy. <3 <3
Love you more!! <3 <3 <3
love this post!! ♥️
ReplyDeletethank you <3
DeleteAck, I love it💖👀
ReplyDeleteyay!! <3
DeleteOhhhhh, a huge yes to genre mixing!
ReplyDeleteI love genre mixing so much!!
DeleteFantastic tips! Need to use these.
ReplyDeleteI hope they help you!! <3
Deleteyes! i can't really use these cause i don't write novels but i hope someone does!
ReplyDeleteI want to do a post on poetry very soon so keep eyes out for that one! Thanks you!! <3
DeleteThese are such good tips! I do genre blending all of the time and I aim for all of my villains to be human in some way. This is one of my top goals as a writer.
ReplyDeleteI haven't done the third I don't think. I know that I generally (not always) make my main characters not as important or as powerful as most protagonists that I have read seemed to be. Like "only they can save the world or fix that problem." Other people can fill in the role if they back out or if they fail, that sort of thing. But nothing like the protagonist is actually the villain or a sidekick or whatever else.
oh wow I love how you make your protagonists not necessarily a "chosen one" or a ride or die person. Like someone else could fill their role if they left, but still they are the ones doing it. That's AWESOME. I love that. <3
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