Monday, March 25, 2019

Does Self-Publishing Still Work?

Does Self-Publishing Still Work in 2019? Maybe. Here's What You Need to Know

In our last writing chat session, Jon Stars and I discussed methods and trends in self-publishing. Tune in Mondays at 7:00 to see the next live session. If you'd like to be a part of the next discussion, tune in or drop a comment! 

Self-publishing has been around as long as rebel writers have existed. But self-publishing as we think of it now started with the rise of the internet and, most pointedly, with Amazon’s self-publishing platform, now called Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). Like many things Amazon has done, it started out great. And then... Well. We'll get to that. You may be wondering, does self-publishing still work in 2019? 

Self-publishing presents terrific opportunities for budding authors and eliminates gatekeepers that have been know to suppress alternative viewpoints and minority groups. More writers are self-publishing than ever before, and many are wondering why readers aren’t finding them when they self-publish. I’ve self-published eight books now and, while I definitely don’t claim to have all the answers, I could write an additional book about what not to do.

The Danger: Vanity Publishers


As the uncomplimentary name might suggest, vanity publishers are not groups you want to go to. Unfortunately, many vanity publishers disguise themselves—or attempt to—as legitimate publishers. There is one big red flag that marks vanity publishers: you pay them up front.

Does that sound like a scam? It should. Because it is.

Of course, nobody works for free. But traditional publishers work on a royalty basis, which means they take a cut of the sales post-publishing. That, in turn, explains why traditional publishers aren’t crazy about new, untested ideas or viewpoints unsupported by a large audience. Today, this is also why traditional publishers need authors to show they have support from readers beforehand.

Vanity publishers, on the other hand, turn profits from authors, not from the sale of books. Sadly, this often means deceiving and exploiting authors, claiming to provide editing, marketing, formatting, posting to particular platforms and a number of other shoddy, overpriced or unnecessary services. They use annoying and deceptive tactics, including mass amounts of spam and unwelcome phone calls. 

The start of one such promotional email. Working in internet marketing by day and a writer by night, I know this is a marketing tool designed to get me to move to the next "buyer funnel" stage. Note the vague language ("educate, motivate, and support" how?) and odd promises ("reach your goal of becoming a published author"). Stay away!
 

It’s good to know in this case that all businesses must follow the CAN-SPAM act. The CAN-SPAM act means, among other things, every business that sends you emails must give you a way to opt out (it’s supposed to be obvious, but it’s usually in tiny “unsubscribe” or “manage these emails” text at the bottom of each email). You can report CAN-SPAM violations to the Federal Trade Commission, and if a vanity publisher ran away with your cash, consider reporting false advertising to the FTC or Federal Communications Commission (FCC) as well. https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0038-spam#report

Note the "unsubscribe" option at the bottom of the email.  I received these emails--and calls, though I never submitted my phone number, which is super creepy--from a print on demand service I previously liked, and actually vouched for in our recent livechat. Not impressed, Lulu, not impressed--and I won't be making future recommendations.
Long story short, listen to your fellow writers to find reputable services, and never, ever give money up front!

Not a Scam: Print on Demand Publishers


Print on demand publishers are similar to vanity presses, but they provide a real function: they actually print your books. Some, like my previously beloved Lulu, have recently blurred the lines between print on demand publisher and vanity publisher.

Print on demand publishers are not really publishers at all, but printing presses. The process is fairly simple; you submit your manuscript as a PDF or similar file, do some formatting, and then purchase paper copies complete with the covers you uploaded. Your books are priced based on the length of the book, and other features. Since they operate on the advantage of economies of scale, each book costs less per book when you order more.

Be careful how many books you order.

It’s tempting to take advantage of discounts and get dozens of copies of your beautiful finished book. But, save some trees and order less. It doesn’t make your friends or family bad or uncaring if they don't read your book—many people just don’t enjoy reading, don’t enjoy the genre you’re writing, or they’re just busy. Don’t take it personally. Also, if you are a friend or family member to an author, do them and yourself a favor and don't make promises to read a book when you know you won't. It's okay.

Sadly, some print on demand publishers have become vanity publishers.  

I’ve published my previous books with Lulu.com, and I had previously had a good experience with them. Unfortunately and very recently, Lulu has blurred the line between print on demand publisher and vanity press, sending unwelcome calls and emails from “publishing consultants" (see pictures above from recent emails). I’ve never used Lulu’s others services, including editing, formatting and “marketing,” but they weren't pushy about these services before. For printing, I’ve always got what I paid for, but their recent scammy tactics have frankly disappointed me. The previous point still stands: pay for printing, but don’t pay for things like marketing, exposure, anything associated with social media, education courses, "connections" with agents, posting to this platform or that one, blog tours, press releases, webpages, etc. etc. etc.  The “publisher” may actually do these things to some extent, but it won’t help your book sales.

Another popular platform is CreateSpace, which Amazon bought in 2005. I would not recommend them either. Which brings me to my next point.

Is Self-Publishing on Amazon Worth it? The Short Answer is No.


Long story short, self-publishing on Amazon no longer works and isn't worth it. The company is covered in bad press and bad books, takes too much of your royalties and brings you no readers. Let's explain that further.

Full disclosure: I have published all my previous books with Amazon. I will not publish any more and I'm working on moving all books to a new platform permanently. While I personally don't agree with supporting businesses that use harmful business strategies, the simple truth is Amazon just doesn't work for authors anymore. 

You don’t have to dig very deep to see the dirt covering Amazon. In fact, a lot of journalists a lot smarter than me have written volumes on it:


Perhaps the saddest part is that this took me only about seven minutes to compile. That’s because you can look in any direction—fair pay, employment practices, privacy, free enterprise, taxes, and more—and Amazon is terrible.

You may be wondering how Amazon could be so horrible--they just sell books and do-dads online, right? Well, no.

“Despite Amazon's dominance in e-commerce, online sales are not actually a main profit engine for the company. Instead, its cloud computing division, Amazon Web Services, has actually generated the majority of Amazon's operating income since 2016. Profits from advertising and third-party sellers are also booming.”

Have you ever wondered where your data goes when you submit it? When post a picture, when you read an article on an online publication, when you submit a review, when countless companies track your movements across their site to send you ads later—where is all that information stored? It goes to Amazon. Amazon Web Services (AWS) is the largest cloud-service data storage provider, meaning they store more data than anyone else in the world. An estimated 70% of everything you do online touches Amazon.  

AWS is so ubiquitous in fact that a journalist tried to stop using it—and it was impossible.

Amazon's empire is enormous, spanning everything from logistics to food to robotics to pharmaceticals and much more. This deeply concerning level of unchecked vertical and horizontal integration—combined with the fact that one of their services has actually become impossible to stop using—is the number one reason I, personally, avoid Amazon services in every way that is possible. 
 https://www.marketwatch.com/story/its-not-just-amazon-and-whole-foods-heres-jeff-bezos-enormous-empire-in-one-chart-2017-06-21

Why am I writing all of this in a post about self-publishing? Because Amazon Kindle Direct Services (KDP) is the go-to platform for aspiring authors. And it shouldn’t be.

You spend at least months, probably years on your book. For most writers, it’s an important part of who you are and an expression of yourself. It’s your art.

Is this the type of business you want your art to support? 

If you’re not moved by my (and many, many others writers’) Amazon chronicle, there’s another very obvious and perhaps more practical reason: publishing on Amazon doesn’t work.

Publishing on Amazon Doesn't Work


As the largest platform for self-publishing marketplace, Amazon seems like a good place to reach readers directly, organically. When I self-published my first book in 2011, that was my hope. And, to some degree, it did work. I was 18 years old, didn’t know anything about book marketing, but readers, strangers, found my work.

Unfortunately, now that there’s over 3,000,000 books in the Kindle Store alone, this frankly doesn’t happen anymore. If you do not direct people to your book, no one will find it organically on Amazon. About 95% of self-published books on Amazon are hardly ever seen by readers.

In fact, Amazon’s own data bears this out. I found this using Kindle data from one of my older books, but any author using the platform can find this info in Author Central under the Sales Info tab and Sales Rank selection. The book is a far cry from a bestseller, but it provides some interesting insights.
 



From these images, it looks like the book is getting weird activity spikes. In August 2018, for example, The King of the Sun goes from #2,400,000 in the Kindle store to #135,000. What makes the book jump over two million places in the sales rank? Must get a lot of sales all of a sudden, right? 

Well, no. Less than 1 reader a month.

While Amazon does explain (though not clearly) that changes in sales rank are also caused by sales of other books, it still doesn't bode well for every book lower than spot #135,000. Any book selling significantly better would not be surpassed and not subject to these volatile swings, so these lower spots must have comparably low activity. The more modest jumps earlier in the book's shelf-life also bode badly. The sales activity didn't change significantly over the book's life--the reason the swings become more dramatic is because about four times as many books were published from 2014 til now.

What does this mean?

It indicates that less than a book a month in sales can consistently make the difference between the bottom spot and spot #135,000. Spot #135,000 and higher represents less than 5% of the Kindle Store. So, 95% of books in the Kindle Store get less than a reader a month.

Amazon Discredits Your Book


One last point. Amazon makes your book look bad.

First off, most publishers will refuse to read any self-published works. Self-publishing on Amazon has become synonymous with cheap and badly-written. Since Amazon uses no apparent editorial process and enforces no content guidelines, the platform has attracted hundreds of thousands of books which are unedited, careless, ridiculous, even disgusting. I won’t list any of these books by name so as to not give them any further credit, but these topics vary from the eye-rolling—like the so-called ‘monster porn’—to the disgusting, including incest and rape. Amazon removed some of these books following strong public backlash, but many still exist between the holes in the approval process—bots looking for no-no words in the text. https://www.businessinsider.com/monster-porn-amazon-crackdown-sex-fantasy-bigfoot-2013-12


So, this begs the question, if Amazon is a terrible business to support, takes 30% of your profits, brings you no readers and puts your book next to garbage smut—why would you use that platform?

If Not Amazon, Where? 12 Alternatives to Amazon


If not Amazon, many authors wonder—what else? How can we avoid the Big 5 publishing gatekeepers and still get in front of readers? This essentially becomes a question of beating capitalism and monopolies, and there’s never been an easy answer to that. In publishing, many claim to have one (spoiler alert: they don’t) and, of course, try to sell it. 

While I can’t easily answer this question, I can provide a few alternative methods that provide the same advantages as Amazon--making your book available for sale online--without putting your book next to the likes of dinosaur porn. (I wish I was kidding)

Most businesses wouldn't consider it very smart to compete with Amazon, so there aren't many other exactly similar platforms. However, there are other strategies that can be just as effective or more effective. Here are a few ideas to look into more. With each method, there are many sites, platforms, plugins etc. that can support it.I look forward to expounding on these more in future posts. 

  • Sell via Social: You certainly won’t get any ethical high ground using Facebook, but you can sell products directly to your followers on the platform. Instagram (owned by Facebook) and Twitter offer similar functions.
  • Crowdfunding: Crowdfunding platforms are traditionally used to fund business ideas or charities, but they essentially connect supporters and creators and process sale transactions. These could be used during a book launch to fulfill pre-orders, or any orders after. GoFundMe, FundRazr and Indiegogo have low processing fees.
  • Website: if you already have a website, you can use plugins or addons like WooCommerce or Shopify to sell your books from your website.
  • Blog: Release your book on your blog and you can monetize through advertisements. The more readers you have, the more your ads will be worth.
  • Membership: Services like Patreon operate on subscription services and allow patrons to support creators directly (Patreon takes 5% and charges a 5% processing fee).
  • Other Ecommerce: Lulu (despite my aforementioned reservations, Lulu does make your book for sale online if you choose), Etsy (while welcoming authors and entrepreneurs, Etsy also emphasizes environmental responsibility as an added bonus), and Scribd are all options here. 
  • Other Ebook platforms: Apple’s iBooks, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Google Play Books, Smashwords (no guarantee these platforms don’t also showcase smut)
  • Podcast: similar to a blog, you can read your book on a podcast, get listeners and monetize your podcast eventually with advertisements
  • Livestream: similar to a blog, you can read your book aloud on a livestream and monetize through subscribers. (However, the largest livestreaming platform, Twitch, is owned by Amazon, so you risk walking the same path from a different start using this method)
  • Magazine: make your story into a magazine with platforms like Issuu, MagLoft, Joomag or others and you can monetize with a large readership.
  • Monetized articles: Platforms like Medium award small amounts of money for articles, including fiction, based on the approval of their readers. 
  • IRL: I'm not really good at real-life networking, but it's effective for some. Talk to libraries, local book sellers, coffeeshops, community centers, go to local events--go where readers are.  

Self-publishing authors aren’t big publishers, and won’t benefit from copying their strategies. Connecting to your audience and like-minded people, being authentic, and thinking creatively are new authors’ best assets. That means thinking outside the box and working outside of the same strategies and platforms. And don’t forget to enjoy writing along the way. 

Despite all this this, don't let your hobbies and your outlets become a business. In our next writing chat session, we'll be discussing the importance of taking pleasure in writing, and how to keep today's "side hustle" culture from going too far. Tune in Mondays at 7:00 to see the next live session and share your thoughts. 
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Tuesday, March 5, 2019

7 Reasons to Join a Writers Group


In our last writing chat session, Jon Stars and I discussed writers groups and critiques. Tune in Mondays at 7:00 to see the next live session. If you'd like to be a part of the next discussion, tune in or drop a comment! 

Should I join a writers group?
  
 If you’re a shy writer like me, you’ve asked yourself this question before. Is it worth it to put myself out there? Can it really make me a better writer?

In short, yes!

Last Monday on our Facebook live chat, fellow Lansing author Jon Stars and I discussed writer’s groups. As long-standing residents of local Lansing writers groups ourselves, we’ve both learned the value that these micro-communities of authors can offer. We’ve also learned some of the best techniques and practices from other authors. If you’re considering it, here are 7 reasons to join a writers group. I’ve also included some helpful links and resources to find writers groups in Greater Lansing to help you get started.  

  

7 Reasons to Join a Writers Group

 

1. Learn Other Styles


Just like we all have a certain way of talking or walking, we also have a certain style of writing. Your style may be detailed, descriptive and poetic. Or it may be sharp, sudden, and striking. Or witty, casual and familiar. It’s difficult to actively change your writing style. That’s a bit like trying to change your handwriting; you can do it if you focus on it, but it’s hard and it won’t last.

(28:27) “You’re not stealing their style, you’re borrowing the things that they do really well.”

You can get a taste of another writer’s style by actively and attentively reading a book, but it’s difficult to enjoy the story and give it in-depth analysis at the same time. At some point, you’ll probably get lost in the story and forget what you’re looking for. In a writers group, you get to ask the author about their style face-to-face and take a moment to analyze, sentence by sentence, what they do and why it works. Since you read a series of small sections from different authors one after the next, you also get to compare several different styles. The similarities and contrasts between them can help you see more clearly which elements are particularly striking, and which you might like to borrow from. This will help you to evolve your own style as well.

 

2. Build Your Confidence


(25:00) “It was hard to heard. But when I thought about it, I realized they were right.”

My first day at writers group was, I’ll admit, pretty jarring. But, I also have social anxiety and I’d never shared my work, in person, with strangers before attending writers group. Though it’s true that that sort of isolation will protect you from anything critical, it also prevents you from gaining any confidence. If you’re afraid that you’ll hear bad things about your work, you’ll never heard praise either.

Regularly going to writers group, reading my work, hearing critiques and approval, giving critiques and being listened to has all helped me to believe in my work, stand behind it, and feel good about sharing it. Part of what makes this possible is listening to critical comments as well as positive ones. With a balanced view, you know your fellow writers are being honest, so you can really feel good when you get the coveted “I really liked this.”

The other important part of this is giving critiques and being listened to. When other writers respect your point of view and trust your knowledge, you can trust yourself.

 

3. Improve Your Writing


The most obvious and common reason to go to a writers group is to improve your writing. Even the most famous, prolific and successful writers in the industry don’t know everything there is to know about writing. Besides that, best practices and trends are constantly changing. A writers group gives you the chance to combine the knowledge of every member—every book they’ve read, talk or conference they’ve attended, every book they’ve written and critique they’ve heard. Whether you’re debating about the Oxford comma, whether to use “said” or “exclaimed,” or wondering whether your entire plot works or not, your writers group can help you.

 

4. Get Encouragement and Solidarity


(26:20) There are many different kinds of writers groups, and each dynamic is a bit different. Some prefer fewer critiques and more enthusiasm, with a focus on what the writer does well instead of what they can improve. Others focus on the opposite, pointing out mechanical errors, improving or removing descriptions, adding action or smoothing the pacing, and so on. There are benefits to either one. The first will keep you going, and is great for finding encouragement when you just feel like burying your notebooks forever. The second will actively improve your writing and help you work on errors. The ideal combination might be a bit of both.

Writing, like anything you’re passionate about, has some frustrations. Either writers group, whether focused on enthusiasm or improvement, will provide solidarity. If you’re frustrated about getting readers, appealing to publishers, finding time to write, balancing your job and your creative energy, and a dozen other obstacles, your writers group will sympathize in a way that no one else can.

 


5. Personal and Professional Growth


(16:00) Learning to take and apply a critique is a universal skill everyone should have, however many do not. Though my day job also involves writing, being able to listen to and learn from others is a skill that is imperative in any profession (and a valuable personal skill too). This is a valuable listening skill, but it’s also an exercise in patience and personal confidence. To effectively apply a critique, you have to set aside your own pride and what you think you know in order to listen to others. You also have to have the confidence and patience to understand that your critic is trying to help, not trying to personally insult you. Learning not to take critiques personally and using them instead to improve will help you learn and enjoy any pursuit.


6. Learning How to Disagree (Silently)



Most writers groups have a rule: You have to be silent while the group offers critiques. This means you don’t get to voice your defense or explain whatever you were doing or trying to do. Since you wouldn’t be able to sit in a room with a reader and explain yourself, this makes sense. .

(9:45) Going to a writers group means listening to others, knowing you’re not the smartest person in the room, and shutting up about it. However, it’s also important to know when to stick to your own style, message, and even your own quirks. Finding this balance is perhaps one of the best reasons to join a writers group, because it will help you better understand your own style, the reason you write, and what you want to say.

“If everybody liked the same books we wouldn’t have any variety of books.”

Remember that everyone has different tastes, and some writers in your group may not enjoy your message, style, topic or characters. That’s okay. But this means you have to decide when to ignore a critique, and stick to what feels right for you. Generally, technical issues like grammar should always be fixed. If your fellow writers tell you something doesn’t make sense, or isn’t clear, that should also probably be fixed. It’s helpful here to look for consensus. If more than two people point out the same problem, especially if they have different tastes and styles, it probably isn’t a matter of opinion.

No matter what you chose, making this decision internally, silently, is a good skill to learn.

 

7. The Crap Sandwich


Giving critiques is an exercise in tact. Tact is another learned skill, and not everyone has it. The Crap Sandwich technique, in my opinion, is a quick shortcut to effective tact. Exercising this technique is also a great reason to join a writers group.

(6:00) “Say a nice thing to start, put in the crap—the harsh thing you have—then put in another nice thing. It’s the perfect package for a writing critique. And anywhere in life, really.”

The Crap Sandwich is a simple, but elegant construction. Before saying something critical, point out something the author did well. This softens the blow of something hard to hear, especially if it’s a major point, like a character that isn’t three-dimensional or a scene that turned out boring. Then, add another point of approval. This leaves the author with a good feeling, so they don’t dwell on an issue.

 

Where to Find Writers Groups in Greater Lansing


There are a variety of writers groups all around Greater Lansing. The first place to look is your local library. Ask a librarian if they know of groups that meet regularly. Most, including the Delta Library, East Lansing Library, and MSU Creative Writing Center. Many other libraries also host groups, though they may not be posted online. You might also ask your local bookstore, or even many cafes. If you’re not sure, these groups can also help you get connected to others. If you are a part of a Greater Lansing writer’s group that isn’t listed, leave a comment and I’ll add it!

 

Greater Lansing Writers Groups



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Wednesday, February 20, 2019

The Psychology of Characterization: Writing Characters We Love and Hate




In our last writing chat session, Jon Stars and I discussed characterization, and the psychology behind it. Tune in Mondays at 7:00 to see the next live session. If you'd like to be a part of the next discussion, send in your questions about the new topic: WRITER'S BLOCK.


The best characters in fiction feel more real to us than some real people, and sometimes they are. One of the things that I love about writing, perhaps the thing I love most, is writing characters. Perhaps because it’s sometimes difficult to be genuine in real life. That’s where the psychology of characterization comes in.

Many writers--whether you're just starting writing or you've been at it for years-- wonder how to write real characters in fiction, and what makes the best characters. These people, animals, entities, come out of nowhere with feelings, thoughts, actions, that drive your story. If they’re not consistent, the story starts to feel like cardboard. Fellow author Jon Stars and I sat down to discuss characters in our last writing chat video. Watch the video to listen to the chat, or read below for some takeaways. 

How do you know if your characters are consistent? Three-dimensional? Interesting? What if readers don’t like your character? 

How to Write Characters We Love 


What People Really Care About


“If it’s not the characters, you might as well have a camera going across landscapes.”

The importance of characters must be understood. And cannot, I don’t think, be overstated.

(4:40) When people describe a book they really like, they may tell you about the plot, but they attach to the characters. That’s what drives the thousands of pages of fanficiton produced every day. Characters are what people really like to read, what keeps them turning the page. Why is this? Why do we care about these made-up entities springing from other people’s brains?

Relateability. We love movies, shows, books, plays because we can see ourselves in them.

And this doesn’t mean that every person sees all of themselves in every character. But a reader may see a part of themselves, or something they wish they were, or fear to become. They may see their friend in a character. Or their enemy. And, little by little, they become engrossed in the story, wondering as the character wonders; what do I do? What should I do? What will happen if I don’t do the right thing?

“For me, if the idea doesn’t have a strong character, it doesn’t go anywhere.”
Snape knows a thing or two about being the star of fanfiction.

The moral quandaries, the uphill battles, the tests of strength and patience are as thrilling to us as they are tests to the characters. And as we read (or watch, or listen), we approach the edge of challenges that we may only know a small piece of.

Relateability is a part of the reason why diversity is so important in storytelling. If you never see yourself in the stories around you, if everyone is always different than you, what hero do you find? Can you approach the challenges these heroes approach? Sometimes. But you’ll never have a hero that is your hero. And everyone needs a hero. 

Tune in Mondays at 7:00 to see the next live session. Leave a comment, or send me a message on Instagram @stemlersam about our upcoming topic, WRITER'S BLOCK!

A Stand-In for the Reader


(9:00) How much do you want your reader to know? This partly depends on how you want them to feel. Tense? Certain? Outraged? Your characters can help you do this.

In a first-person narrative, we look directly through the character’s eyes. From third-person, we oten look just over a character’s shoulder. Even with the knowledge of an omniscient narrator, readers know what is happening around a character, or several. The information this gives us tells us how to—or, often, makes us—react.

Your central character, in this sense, is the reader.

This, however, presents a challenge. Your reader knows nothing about the story, other characters, setting, and conflict. Your character may know all about them. To create a realistic knowledgeable character—a sensei, wizard, king, commander, captain—they can’t easily repeat their knowledge for the reader without sounding obvious and redundant (maybe even a little brain-damaged). So how do you tell the reader about the story without being obvious? There are several ways to deal with this conundrum.

“You don’t want your readers to be in the dark. But you don’t want your characters repeating things, either.”


The Beginner: The Beginner character archetype has spanned genres and time. They’re the apprentice, padawan, young cop, new doctor—they know just about the same amount as the reader knows. And reiterating their knowledge—perhaps with confidence, perhaps with fear—can make sense for the reader and for story. Be careful not to make this character ask too many questions, or explain too much. They should still be a character, they should be a person, not a prop. This is the part of your reader that doesn’t know, but wants to.  

“Make sure your character isn’t a sounding board for readers. They shouldn’t say ‘Oh my God, what’s over there?’”

All-Knowing Sensei: Your knowledgeable character knows what’s going on. The more they know, the more power and authority they have. Put the camera on this character’s shoulder, in their mind, and you can give your reader the knowledge—and the power, the authority—your character has. As the character reviews the situation, the past, considers the future, and their options, they do the same for the reader. The way in which the character considers these things (Bitterly? Cynically? With control and certainty?) also invites the reader into their personality, and make the exposition less obvious. 
 
This is clearly a very mysterious book...
“What’s he up to? A big part of the mystery is what IS he up to?”

Dark Mysterious Leader: This is, admittedly, a character archetype I can’t stay away from. The Dark Mysterious Leader (DML) may know everything, but conveys very little. This is, of course, the key to their mysterious charm. This also makes room for exposition in a number of ways. The other characters wonder—and can sensibly expound upon—the DML’s motives, past, actions, and intentions without being redundant. The information the DML does decide to give away can also serve as exposition. Again, the way in which they do this (Begrudgingly? Annoyed? Frustrated? Regretful? Deceitful?) will show the readers who they really are.

I Don’t Like Your Main Character Very Much


(12:00) Ouch. That’s a tough one to hear. 

 

Everyone wants to write a main character that is likeable. And this doesn’t always mean they’re good. But they must be interesting.

It’s tempting to write a perfect person, especially if this character is a big part of you (and don’t we all write ourselves into our books in some way?). It’s even therapeutic to write characters the way we would like to be, or hope to be. However, can you think of a character in a book or show you related to, who was perfect? Probably not. If you’re like me, they irritated you. You wanted something bad to happen to them, just so they weren’t so damn perfect.

It can be equally tempting (and, oddly, equally therapeutic) to write a character who’s 110% evil, one who is the worst of ourselves. There’s something peaceful about hating a character who absolutely deserves it. But this evil incarnation suffers the same effect as the flawless hero; the reader wants something bad to happen to them.

“You can create unlikeable characters both ways. When readers want the character to fail, they don’t like them.”

This returns to the psychology of character-building, and how we, as readers and writers, relate to these characters. All writers know that complex characters are essential. Readers quickly become bored with characters whose existence hinges on one attribute (Writers of the Uber Macho Female Warrior, I’m looking at you). But what really makes a character three-dimensional? Where is the line between consistent and simplistic?

Weaknesses and flaws, in storytelling, are not the same. A hero has a weakness so the villain can defeat them (or hope to). A character’s flaw is one that they must confront in themselves. A weakness is an avenue to move the plot forward. A flaw is the road to character growth.

Fully-realized characters often carry opposite, but equal flaws and strengths. This may be conveyed through Competence, Actionability, and Likeability. The Sensei character often knows too much and has become too detached or cynical to aid in the story’s conflict. They are the reader’s still knowledge. The Beginner character often moves too fast, with obvious and laudable good intentions, but too little knowledge to be effective. They are the reader’s impulse to action. Characters that are both competent and effective are often isolated, either too strong, proud, unpleasant, or even afraid to ask for help. They are the reader’s personality flaws.

Another way to visualize this continuum is through behavior and circumstance. A passionate lover, for example, might be beautifully loyal when adored, but vicious when spurned. A confident leader may pull the characters through a tough situation, but lash out when questioned. A shy friend may be a good listener and reliable shoulder to lean on, but little good when push comes to shove. The lively partier is fun and dynamic, but won’t let the party stop.

The same traits that make a character good can, in other circumstances, make them bad. But these traits together make them human.

“If you have flaws in a character and people see themselves in that character, they can’t help but like them…. Even if they hate themselves, they’ll like the character.”

Flawed characters—especially flawed heroes—reassure us that we don’t have to be perfect, and we can still be heroes.


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