The Sound-Secrets of a Bestseller

What does "sound" have to do with writing bestsellers?

Maybe everything. Before I stumbled upon this sneaky little writing secret, I wrote "OK" stories. My writing was sub par, good but not great, trapped in that thorny cage of perfect sentence structure and grammatical correctness. Not until I read about these "sound secrets" did I truly understand the depth and complexity of the art of storytelling, the hidden byways that transformed mundane writing into mesmerizing fiction (or non-fiction, as it may be).

If you'd like to make that same transformation in your writing, if you find yourself unable to move forward in your writing ability, if you regularly (like I did) bang your head up against the brick wall of rules and instructions about what makes a good sentence, then this is for you. Listen closely, fellow writer, and discover something I think is remarkable and perhaps life-changing.


You may never read another story the same way again.

Here, then, are the "sound secrets" of bestseller writing:

1. Good writing is as much (and maybe more) about how the writing "sounds" than if it is technically correct.
2. After you write a sentence or a paragraph or you whole story, come back and read it out loud. Really, it's not a bad practice. You may "hear" your writing differently when it's brought up from the page or screen into the life of the verbal world. If it sounds choppy (and that's not your goal), fix it. If it sounds strange in any way (and that's not your goal), make some changes.
3. Writing for "sound" is part science and part art. Over time, you will develop better writing "ears." Be gentle with yourself and keep practicing. Compare your work to bestselling writers. Notice the cadence of their sentences, the musical quality to their paragraphs. Read good poetry and fiction.Dean Koontz is a good author to read for "sound." So is Stephen Hunter, author of the Bob Lee Swagger novel series. A recent author I discovered is Micheal Williams, author of Trajan's arch. (You can find this book at http://www.blackwyrm.com)
4. When editing your writing for "sound," consider combining sentences, or separating them, changing the structure or changing the length. Each sentence should flow naturally into the next, like waves rolling to the shore, or a current tugging your reader along. It is a subtle art of nuances, background shadows playing on the wall,unseen and unnoticed, but imminently important. It often makes the difference between clunky fiction and catapulting success.
5. Remember, as a general rule, vary your sentences structure and length. This is the start of "sound." Of course, at times you may want to write a string of short, choppy sentences. That creates mood. Tone. Atmosphere. You may also want to write a very long sentence, unbroken by the mind-stopping presence of a period, punctuated only by the occasional comma, a dance of words on the page to draw the reader further and further into the iron grip of your story. The point is to write on purpose, controlling the pace of the story. A slow Waltz here, a Quick-step there.
6. Word choice also matters. This will probably be the focus of a future article, but suffice it to say that poor word choices can ruin a perfectly good sentence. Choose your words wisely. Use a thesaurus. Steal cool words from other authors (just don't plagiarize, please!)

With these tools, you have what you need to "re-tune" your writing. Work on the sound, the cadence, the music of your stories, and watch them hypnotize readers, editors, literary agents and publishers alike.

Secrets of Bestseller Premises Part 1

Blockbusters.
Bestsellers.
Mega hits.


Your first step towards your breakout novel is creating a bestselling premise. If you can do that, you can write a breath-taking ride of a story, the kind that keeps overworked, underpaid literary agents up at night. The kind that lands six figure publishing deals, including movie adaptions.


Sounds good, right? But how do you do it? How do you create an idea with bestseller potential? How do you yourself at the publishing world and take no prisoners? Let's get practical.


Just as there is a first step in crafting a bestseller, there is a first step in designing a premise with breakout potential. This first step, which I call "The Psychological Secret of Bestseller Premises," is the subject of this post. As you read it, as you sit there thinking about the information deeply, allow yourself to share it with your writer friends and family.


The psychological secret begins when you train your mind to filter everything through the question, "How can I use that in a story?" Another way to ask the same question is, "What if?"


Just this morning, as I was browsing through a gun magazine at my hotel in Atlanta, GA, I stumbled upon an article about self-defense. The article listed ways self-defense shootings go wrong. And my mind automatically started asking, "What if that did happen? What if ALL that bad stuff happened to someone? What would the person do? Why might it happen? What might make the situation worse?"


You see, bestseller premises grow best in open minds. Minds alert for the next big idea. So, to give you a practical action strategy, make it a point to stop throughout the day and ask yourself, "Can I use anything around me for a story?" It doesn't matter if you are reading the newspaper, watching TV, at the grocery store, or flipping through a gun magazine in Atlanta. Once you start to practice this seemingly simple question method, you will begin the process of training your mind to ask the questions and make the connections automatically. Over time, you start to pick up ideas others miss. You see the potential simmering just below the surface. Then, and only then, you are on your way.


Use the following quick tips to create your bestseller premise.

1. Stop 3 to 4 times a day this week and look closely at your surroundings.


2. Ask yourself, "Is there anything here I can use in a story?" It could be a character, a setting, a plot event, anything.


3. Ask yourself, "What if that DID happen?"


4. Notice how you feel about the idea. Are you excited and enthralled or nonchalant? If you feel powerfully about the idea, then you may be on to something.


5. Write down the idea as soon as possible. You don't want to wake up tomorrow and realize you've forgotten the bestseller idea.


6. Play with the idea. Who is involved? Why might it happen? Where might it happen? What might make matters worse? Even worse than that?


7. Remember, when you find the right idea, you'll know. You'll often feel it in your gut. Your juices flow. You glace around hungrily, looking for a computer, a pen and paper, anything to scribble down the story.

If you have gained anything from this blog, please share it with others. It is my gift to you. It can become your gift to others.


Come back soon for the next installation, Secrets of Bestseller Premises Part 2.


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