Hanging Out on a Magical Limb to Write a Best Selling Book
The last Harry Potter book is out. In 24 hours it sold over 10 million copies. That's 10 million. In one day. Who wouldn't want to be the next writer with a Harry Potter series? J.K. Rowling is probably richer than the queen at this point, and even Sir Paul can't keep up. Can you hope for the same with self-publishing?
So here's the question many writers are asking: How can I do the same thing? 
How do I write a best selling book?
Why, you simply wave your wand and put 10 million people under an Imperius curse to buy your book. No, seriously, there isn't a surefire answer. But, as Peter Hornsberger in our recent seminar on book publishing said, you can bet that there will soon be a flurry of books coming out with magical creatures and witches. After all, isn't that what people want?
Maybe, maybe not. To self-publish... or not to self-publish? And more importantly... what to write?
I'm going to don my sorting hat and see if I can come up with a few ideas on this subject. Right off the top of my balding head comes this: It wasn't the magic that made Harry Potter so popular.
I'm sorry to disappoint those who thought the books were corrupting their young and trying to make them into witches, but I really don't believe that the magic of the Harry Potter series wasn't the magic itself.
I think it's because every single one of us (yes, I read all seven books) could relate to the characters in some way. We were poor little confused Harry, who was thrust into a position he'd never wanted, but had to find his way to his inner strength. We grew up in a family like Ron's, or had to do battle with the bullies in school. And these days, everyone can relate in some way to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named -- the "evil-doers" of the world.
It was a magical world with characters far more real than any "reality" TV show. As child or adult readers we could disappear for a time into another world - a world much like ours, but also different. It's a world fraught with similar dangers, but with the added element of magic. Terrorists become Death Eaters, and Harry, good natured Harry, is the hero we all wish would suddenly spring to life.
The magic is in the characters and the story
Do you want to write the next book that sells 10 million copies in one day? Sure you do. Don't just try to copy J.K. Rowling, or hop onto the magical world bandwagon. Write a great book that engages the reader emotionally. Make your characters real. Create dialogue that is exactly the way your characters would really talk. Keep the reader turning the pages by ending each chapter with a new puzzle or clue.
In other words, follow the basic principles of good fiction writing. In our (as I write this) upcoming seminar on "How to Write a Book," our guest speaker will review the Fourteen Commandments of good writing. Writing is in this way similar to building a house. A novel built upon a solid foundation will withstand the harsh winds of critics. From there, you can add special design elements that make your home (novel) more attractive and desirable.
And what IS the next Harry Potter?
If I knew the answer, I wouldn't be writing this article. I'd be writing the book! But I do believe that IF there is ever another phenomena as big, it will be because of our love for and attraction to the characters, and not because it uses magic as a backdrop. Sure, we love fantasy. But the last big book like this was "Gone With the Wind." There were no spells cast, but the characters and story struck a chord deep within the readers of the time. If you can uncover the secret chamber that holds the emotional and psychological hot buttons for today's readers, then I think you'll be on to something. Try building your story around the characters instead of the other way around and see what happens.
Now these are just my humble opinions. I'm certainly no English major, but I do know enough about sales and marketing to know that people buy for emotional reasons. It's not any different with books.
There is, of course, always a place for literary masterpieces that never become market blockbusters. If that is your passion, then please continue. Write for the love of writing. But if you want a best seller, you might... just might... want to think about your target market. What do THEY want?
Check out this new writing software that helps you complete a novel. Quick to install, easy to use. newnovelist works in the same way that JK Rowling writes her Harry Potter novels. Click here to learn more:
Feel free to add your comments at the end of this article (see below).
|
