{"version":"1.0.0","segments":[{"startTime":0.3,"endTime":3.3,"body":"And this is where that whole writing something that's quote unquote,"},{"startTime":3.3,"endTime":3.81,"body":"the same,"},{"startTime":3.81,"endTime":5.58,"body":"but different comes into play."},{"startTime":5.79,"endTime":8.85,"body":"So you do need to deliver on the kinds of things."},{"startTime":8.85,"endTime":10.8,"body":"Readers are expecting from your genre,"},{"startTime":10.89,"endTime":13.59,"body":"but you also need to be able to innovate the conventions"},{"startTime":13.59,"endTime":16.59,"body":"of your genre rather than simply regurgitating them."},{"startTime":17.04,"endTime":17.73,"body":"And to me,"},{"startTime":17.73,"endTime":19.5,"body":"this is where mastery comes in."},{"startTime":19.65,"endTime":21.12,"body":"So when we're first starting out,"},{"startTime":21.12,"endTime":23.91,"body":"we might end up writing scenes similar to what's already out"},{"startTime":23.91,"endTime":25.08,"body":"there and that's okay."},{"startTime":25.41,"endTime":26.94,"body":"But as you get better and better,"},{"startTime":26.94,"endTime":28.92,"body":"and as you write further into your draft,"},{"startTime":28.95,"endTime":31.47,"body":"you're going to think of ways to innovate on what's been"},{"startTime":31.47,"endTime":32.13,"body":"done before."},{"startTime":32.46,"endTime":34.98,"body":"And really this is a skill that just takes time and"},{"startTime":34.98,"endTime":36.09,"body":"practice to develop."},{"startTime":36.21,"endTime":38.25,"body":"So don't worry if you feel like you're not there yet,"},{"startTime":38.31,"endTime":41.25,"body":"it will come welcome to the fiction."},{"startTime":41.25,"endTime":42.63,"body":"Writing made easy podcast."},{"startTime":43.02,"endTime":44.31,"body":"My name is Savannah Guilbeau,"},{"startTime":44.31,"endTime":46.53,"body":"and I'm here to help you write a story that works."},{"startTime":47.22,"endTime":49.23,"body":"I want to prove to you that writing a novel doesn't"},{"startTime":49.23,"endTime":50.28,"body":"have to be overwhelming."},{"startTime":50.76,"endTime":53.34,"body":"So each week I'll bring you a brand new episode with"},{"startTime":53.34,"endTime":54.66,"body":"simple, actionable,"},{"startTime":54.72,"endTime":58.26,"body":"and step-by-step strategies that you can implement in your writing right"},{"startTime":58.26,"endTime":60.69,"body":"away. So whether you're brand new to writing or more of"},{"startTime":60.69,"endTime":62.94,"body":"a seasoned author looking to improve your craft,"},{"startTime":63.03,"endTime":64.29,"body":"this podcast is for you."},{"startTime":64.65,"endTime":69.03,"body":"So pick up a pen and let's get started In today's"},{"startTime":69.03,"endTime":72.66,"body":"episode, we're going to talk about five reasons why readers might"},{"startTime":72.66,"endTime":75.78,"body":"stop reading a book and then how to avoid making some"},{"startTime":75.78,"endTime":79.26,"body":"of these mistakes that cause readers to stop reading in your"},{"startTime":79.26,"endTime":82.08,"body":"draft. And the reason I thought this would be fun to"},{"startTime":82.08,"endTime":84.87,"body":"cover today is because last week I had to give up"},{"startTime":84.9,"endTime":87.39,"body":"on a book I was halfway through and it killed me"},{"startTime":87.9,"endTime":91.02,"body":"99% of the time I will finish a book because who"},{"startTime":91.02,"endTime":93.87,"body":"knows, maybe it will get better or maybe it will surprise"},{"startTime":93.87,"endTime":95.55,"body":"me, but this one book,"},{"startTime":95.58,"endTime":98.31,"body":"and I'm talking about a traditionally published book,"},{"startTime":98.34,"endTime":100.62,"body":"not one of my clients or students books,"},{"startTime":100.62,"endTime":101.22,"body":"by the way,"},{"startTime":101.43,"endTime":102.57,"body":"but this one book,"},{"startTime":102.57,"endTime":103.8,"body":"I just couldn't finish it."},{"startTime":103.8,"endTime":105.36,"body":"And I started to wonder why."},{"startTime":105.39,"endTime":108.0,"body":"So then I decided to dig into this topic a little"},{"startTime":108.0,"endTime":109.53,"body":"bit more for today's episode."},{"startTime":110.07,"endTime":112.38,"body":"So let's go ahead and just dive right in."},{"startTime":112.38,"endTime":112.98,"body":"Shall we,"},{"startTime":113.46,"endTime":116.46,"body":"the first reason why a reader might stop reading a novel"},{"startTime":116.46,"endTime":119.79,"body":"is because nothing meaningful happens in the opening pages."},{"startTime":120.3,"endTime":122.19,"body":"And what I mean by this is that a lot of"},{"startTime":122.19,"endTime":124.92,"body":"writers use the beginning of a story to warm the reader"},{"startTime":124.92,"endTime":126.42,"body":"up for what's coming next."},{"startTime":126.78,"endTime":129.81,"body":"So they'll put in a lot of backstory or exposition in"},{"startTime":129.81,"endTime":132.93,"body":"the opening pages so that the reader knows everything there is"},{"startTime":132.93,"endTime":135.96,"body":"to know about the characters or about the world before anything"},{"startTime":135.96,"endTime":138.81,"body":"happens. And this is just not ideal."},{"startTime":139.08,"endTime":142.2,"body":"Imagine your favorite story and think about if the author did"},{"startTime":142.2,"endTime":142.92,"body":"this to you,"},{"startTime":143.16,"endTime":146.52,"body":"you might think all the backstory and exposition is cool and"},{"startTime":146.52,"endTime":147.27,"body":"really fun,"},{"startTime":147.45,"endTime":149.94,"body":"but you don't need to know it all before the story"},{"startTime":149.94,"endTime":152.13,"body":"starts. So for example,"},{"startTime":152.13,"endTime":154.35,"body":"I love the world building and Harry Potter,"},{"startTime":154.35,"endTime":156.51,"body":"but I don't need to know how many floors are in"},{"startTime":156.51,"endTime":159.72,"body":"the ministry of magic or what flavors there are in birdie"},{"startTime":159.72,"endTime":161.16,"body":"bots, every flavored beans."},{"startTime":161.16,"endTime":162.48,"body":"Before I meet Harry on page one,"},{"startTime":162.75,"endTime":165.0,"body":"that would just be too much information and it would be"},{"startTime":165.03,"endTime":168.3,"body":"boring. So what should you do instead if you have a"},{"startTime":168.3,"endTime":169.86,"body":"problem like this in your draft,"},{"startTime":170.28,"endTime":172.44,"body":"the first thing is you need to make sure that something"},{"startTime":172.44,"endTime":174.93,"body":"compelling is happening from the very first page."},{"startTime":175.23,"endTime":177.66,"body":"You might have heard the advice to start with action or"},{"startTime":177.66,"endTime":179.07,"body":"to start in media Rez."},{"startTime":179.26,"endTime":181.36,"body":"And all that saying is the same thing."},{"startTime":181.54,"endTime":185.14,"body":"Start with something compelling that will pull readers into the story."},{"startTime":185.53,"endTime":187.15,"body":"But there's one caveat here."},{"startTime":187.18,"endTime":190.75,"body":"This doesn't mean to start with car chases or explosions or"},{"startTime":190.75,"endTime":192.55,"body":"something super extreme like that."},{"startTime":192.91,"endTime":195.85,"body":"Rather, I want you to think in terms of a meaningful"},{"startTime":195.85,"endTime":199.96,"body":"or impactful opening and meaningful and impactful are subjective,"},{"startTime":199.96,"endTime":204.73,"body":"right? So what's a meaningful and impactful event for your character."},{"startTime":205.15,"endTime":207.79,"body":"You can also ask why does this story need to start"},{"startTime":207.79,"endTime":210.01,"body":"today and not yesterday or tomorrow,"},{"startTime":210.28,"endTime":213.1,"body":"because you're looking for the moment that things start to change"},{"startTime":213.1,"endTime":214.15,"body":"for your protagonist,"},{"startTime":214.18,"endTime":216.19,"body":"even if they don't know it just yet."},{"startTime":216.4,"endTime":219.1,"body":"This is usually a good indicator of when your story should"},{"startTime":219.1,"endTime":222.07,"body":"start. And then don't feel like you need to tell readers"},{"startTime":222.13,"endTime":223.57,"body":"everything instead,"},{"startTime":223.6,"endTime":227.32,"body":"just give them enough context to understand what's happening in the"},{"startTime":227.32,"endTime":228.73,"body":"scene or the story present,"},{"startTime":228.76,"endTime":230.02,"body":"but not much more."},{"startTime":230.2,"endTime":232.57,"body":"You can save all of that for a later scene or"},{"startTime":232.57,"endTime":235.54,"body":"chapter. And if you need help with your opening pages,"},{"startTime":235.54,"endTime":238.33,"body":"I have a great workshop that can give you some guidance."},{"startTime":238.36,"endTime":241.0,"body":"It's called how to hook readers in your first five pages."},{"startTime":241.0,"endTime":243.04,"body":"And I will link to that in the show notes for"},{"startTime":243.04,"endTime":244.96,"body":"you. If you want to check it out and learn more,"},{"startTime":245.32,"endTime":246.82,"body":"but that's reason number one,"},{"startTime":246.85,"endTime":250.42,"body":"readers will stop reading a novel if there's nothing meaningful happening"},{"startTime":250.42,"endTime":252.19,"body":"in the opening pages of the story."},{"startTime":252.82,"endTime":253.84,"body":"Moving on to reason."},{"startTime":253.84,"endTime":254.53,"body":"Number two,"},{"startTime":254.83,"endTime":257.53,"body":"the second reason that a reader might stop reading a novel"},{"startTime":257.53,"endTime":259.69,"body":"is because it's hard to connect with the point of view"},{"startTime":259.69,"endTime":262.63,"body":"character. And what I mean by this is that in most"},{"startTime":262.63,"endTime":266.08,"body":"cases, the point of view character is either unrelatable or they"},{"startTime":266.08,"endTime":268.33,"body":"aren't behaving like a real person would."},{"startTime":268.66,"endTime":270.16,"body":"So what does this look like?"},{"startTime":270.55,"endTime":272.77,"body":"Well, this could manifest in a few different ways."},{"startTime":272.8,"endTime":273.91,"body":"So for example,"},{"startTime":273.94,"endTime":277.15,"body":"a story might contain a protagonist who does not react to"},{"startTime":277.15,"endTime":278.77,"body":"the events of the story at all,"},{"startTime":278.77,"endTime":281.8,"body":"or barely ever since real people in real life,"},{"startTime":281.8,"endTime":283.27,"body":"react to the things around them."},{"startTime":283.3,"endTime":285.73,"body":"This would make a character who does not react,"},{"startTime":285.76,"endTime":287.89,"body":"feel unlike an unrelatable."},{"startTime":288.25,"endTime":289.36,"body":"So to avoid this,"},{"startTime":289.36,"endTime":291.16,"body":"you really just want to make sure that your point of"},{"startTime":291.16,"endTime":295.24,"body":"view characters are reacting or responding to what's happening around them."},{"startTime":295.51,"endTime":297.49,"body":"And the best way you can do this is by showing"},{"startTime":297.49,"endTime":300.55,"body":"readers how they think and feel or how they're processing the"},{"startTime":300.55,"endTime":302.29,"body":"events that are happening around them."},{"startTime":302.59,"endTime":305.53,"body":"You should also include how they decide to move forward into"},{"startTime":305.53,"endTime":308.35,"body":"the next scene or the next activity based on all of"},{"startTime":308.35,"endTime":309.58,"body":"those thoughts and feelings."},{"startTime":310.06,"endTime":312.25,"body":"Another way that shows up is when a character has no"},{"startTime":312.25,"endTime":314.65,"body":"goal or motivation driving them forward."},{"startTime":315.1,"endTime":317.11,"body":"And in most cases in real life,"},{"startTime":317.11,"endTime":320.11,"body":"we all have goals and we all have things motivating us"},{"startTime":320.11,"endTime":322.0,"body":"to take action every single day,"},{"startTime":322.21,"endTime":325.18,"body":"no matter how big or how small those goals or actions"},{"startTime":325.18,"endTime":328.39,"body":"are. So when a character doesn't have a goal or something,"},{"startTime":328.39,"endTime":330.07,"body":"motivating them to do stuff,"},{"startTime":330.1,"endTime":332.56,"body":"they end up feeling unrelatable and false."},{"startTime":333.01,"endTime":334.51,"body":"And I have a podcast episode."},{"startTime":334.51,"endTime":336.88,"body":"That's all about crafting compelling characters."},{"startTime":337.03,"endTime":338.98,"body":"So if you're having trouble with this one,"},{"startTime":339.01,"endTime":342.13,"body":"or if you've gotten feedback from beta readers or editors saying"},{"startTime":342.13,"endTime":344.05,"body":"that you need to do a little more character work to"},{"startTime":344.05,"endTime":345.52,"body":"make your character relatable,"},{"startTime":345.61,"endTime":347.53,"body":"go check out episode number seven."},{"startTime":347.56,"endTime":349.36,"body":"And I will link to that in the show notes for"},{"startTime":349.36,"endTime":351.07,"body":"you for easy access as well."},{"startTime":351.31,"endTime":352.99,"body":"But basically for every point of view,"},{"startTime":352.99,"endTime":356.56,"body":"character, you should know a what they want be why they"},{"startTime":356.56,"endTime":358.31,"body":"want it and see what's at stake."},{"startTime":358.31,"endTime":359.27,"body":"If they don't get it."},{"startTime":359.57,"endTime":362.9,"body":"And you really want each of these things to be specific."},{"startTime":363.08,"endTime":366.02,"body":"So if your answer is something like my character wants to"},{"startTime":366.02,"endTime":366.71,"body":"be happy,"},{"startTime":366.95,"endTime":369.05,"body":"you're going to need to dig a little deeper."},{"startTime":369.38,"endTime":371.6,"body":"So what does happiness look like for this character?"},{"startTime":371.81,"endTime":375.2,"body":"How will readers know if this character has achieved happiness or"},{"startTime":375.2,"endTime":378.2,"body":"not? And the same thing goes for their motivation and what's"},{"startTime":378.2,"endTime":378.74,"body":"at stake."},{"startTime":378.89,"endTime":381.11,"body":"So the more specific you can be the better,"},{"startTime":381.56,"endTime":384.41,"body":"and that's the second reason why a reader might stop reading"},{"startTime":384.41,"endTime":385.01,"body":"a novel."},{"startTime":385.22,"endTime":386.24,"body":"They might stop reading."},{"startTime":386.24,"endTime":388.58,"body":"If it's hard to connect to the point of view characters,"},{"startTime":388.94,"endTime":389.96,"body":"moving on to reason."},{"startTime":389.96,"endTime":390.56,"body":"Number three,"},{"startTime":391.04,"endTime":393.74,"body":"the third reason a reader might stop reading a novel is"},{"startTime":393.74,"endTime":396.23,"body":"because they can't tell what kind of story they're reading."},{"startTime":396.5,"endTime":399.26,"body":"And this is actually the reason that I stopped reading the"},{"startTime":399.26,"endTime":401.6,"body":"book that I mentioned in the beginning of this episode."},{"startTime":401.84,"endTime":402.95,"body":"So for context,"},{"startTime":402.95,"endTime":404.99,"body":"I had read the first book and it was more of"},{"startTime":404.99,"endTime":405.65,"body":"an action,"},{"startTime":405.68,"endTime":407.12,"body":"fantasy romance novel,"},{"startTime":407.15,"endTime":407.93,"body":"and I loved it."},{"startTime":408.23,"endTime":410.27,"body":"But then I picked up book two and it read more"},{"startTime":410.27,"endTime":414.35,"body":"like historical fiction without the action romance and fantasy that I"},{"startTime":414.35,"endTime":415.79,"body":"loved from the first book."},{"startTime":416.06,"endTime":417.08,"body":"So as a reader,"},{"startTime":417.08,"endTime":418.67,"body":"it was very jarring for me."},{"startTime":418.94,"endTime":422.03,"body":"I normally look forward to my time reading every night,"},{"startTime":422.03,"endTime":424.64,"body":"but this was so different and just not what I was"},{"startTime":424.64,"endTime":429.23,"body":"expecting. So I found myself feeling very indifferent to sitting down,"},{"startTime":429.23,"endTime":430.37,"body":"to read every night."},{"startTime":430.82,"endTime":431.84,"body":"But that being said,"},{"startTime":431.84,"endTime":433.82,"body":"I did read about halfway through the book to give it"},{"startTime":433.82,"endTime":434.39,"body":"a chance."},{"startTime":434.63,"endTime":435.2,"body":"And finally,"},{"startTime":435.2,"endTime":437.6,"body":"I realized that it was never going to become all of"},{"startTime":437.6,"endTime":439.58,"body":"those things that I liked in book one."},{"startTime":439.79,"endTime":441.05,"body":"So I had to put it down."},{"startTime":441.62,"endTime":443.84,"body":"And I know the example I just gave you was from"},{"startTime":443.84,"endTime":445.76,"body":"book one of a series to book two,"},{"startTime":445.97,"endTime":448.64,"body":"but this does happen within one book as well."},{"startTime":448.85,"endTime":451.79,"body":"So imagine you pick up something like a mystery novel and"},{"startTime":451.79,"endTime":453.47,"body":"everything's going as expected,"},{"startTime":453.47,"endTime":455.9,"body":"but then a quarter of the way through it veers off"},{"startTime":455.93,"endTime":458.84,"body":"and becomes a romance that would be a little bit jarring"},{"startTime":458.84,"endTime":459.71,"body":"to you as a reader,"},{"startTime":459.71,"endTime":461.69,"body":"right? And it's not what you signed up for."},{"startTime":462.02,"endTime":462.98,"body":"And just for the record,"},{"startTime":462.98,"endTime":465.47,"body":"I'm not saying that you can't have elements of more than"},{"startTime":465.47,"endTime":466.88,"body":"one genre in your book."},{"startTime":466.91,"endTime":468.02,"body":"You certainly can,"},{"startTime":468.32,"endTime":470.63,"body":"but you do want to pick one to be your main"},{"startTime":470.66,"endTime":472.4,"body":"genre. So in the example,"},{"startTime":472.4,"endTime":473.69,"body":"I just gave mystery."},{"startTime":473.69,"endTime":475.1,"body":"It would be the main genre."},{"startTime":475.37,"endTime":478.04,"body":"And then you would want to slot your secondary genre as"},{"startTime":478.04,"endTime":480.11,"body":"your supporting genre or your subplot."},{"startTime":480.29,"endTime":482.36,"body":"So in the example I talked about earlier,"},{"startTime":482.57,"endTime":483.74,"body":"that would be romance."},{"startTime":484.1,"endTime":486.59,"body":"And really what you want to avoid is writing the beginning"},{"startTime":486.59,"endTime":488.69,"body":"of your book as one thing and the end of your"},{"startTime":488.69,"endTime":489.98,"body":"book as something different."},{"startTime":489.98,"endTime":490.85,"body":"Because again,"},{"startTime":490.88,"endTime":493.67,"body":"that's just not going to be a good experience for readers."},{"startTime":493.82,"endTime":496.52,"body":"And once they realize they're not getting what they signed up"},{"startTime":496.52,"endTime":499.22,"body":"for, or they're not surprised and delighted in the way that"},{"startTime":499.22,"endTime":500.3,"body":"they thought they would be,"},{"startTime":500.33,"endTime":502.01,"body":"they're probably going to put your book down."},{"startTime":502.43,"endTime":504.14,"body":"Another thing I want to point out here is that it's"},{"startTime":504.14,"endTime":504.77,"body":"also good."},{"startTime":504.77,"endTime":505.88,"body":"If you can make it clear,"},{"startTime":505.88,"endTime":508.04,"body":"what kind of story readers are in for,"},{"startTime":508.04,"endTime":509.39,"body":"from the very first page."},{"startTime":509.66,"endTime":512.6,"body":"So mystery readers want to know they're reading a mystery right"},{"startTime":512.6,"endTime":515.66,"body":"away. Romance readers want to know they're reading a romance from"},{"startTime":515.66,"endTime":518.78,"body":"the very first page and really the same goes for readers"},{"startTime":518.78,"endTime":520.1,"body":"across any genre."},{"startTime":520.55,"endTime":523.79,"body":"Sometimes I see science fiction and fantasy writers have a hard"},{"startTime":523.79,"endTime":524.63,"body":"time with this."},{"startTime":524.81,"endTime":525.77,"body":"So for example,"},{"startTime":525.77,"endTime":528.11,"body":"let's say someone's writing a paranormal romance,"},{"startTime":528.14,"endTime":531.44,"body":"but there's nothing paranormal happening until page 75."},{"startTime":531.65,"endTime":533.63,"body":"That's going to be a little strange for readers."},{"startTime":534.02,"endTime":537.75,"body":"Another thing I see sometimes is that fantasy writers don't include"},{"startTime":537.75,"endTime":540.21,"body":"magic until way too late in their drafts."},{"startTime":540.57,"endTime":542.94,"body":"And really no matter what genre you're writing in,"},{"startTime":542.94,"endTime":545.07,"body":"it should be very clear from the first page."},{"startTime":545.25,"endTime":547.53,"body":"So if you're going to include magic in your story,"},{"startTime":547.56,"endTime":548.49,"body":"you should show it."},{"startTime":548.52,"endTime":550.95,"body":"Or at the very least hint at it from the very"},{"startTime":550.95,"endTime":554.19,"body":"start and something that always helps me keep this in mind"},{"startTime":554.19,"endTime":556.65,"body":"is that a confused reader is a lost reader."},{"startTime":557.01,"endTime":559.53,"body":"So we don't want to confuse our readers because that means"},{"startTime":559.53,"endTime":560.79,"body":"we will lose our readers."},{"startTime":561.06,"endTime":563.55,"body":"And if you need help figuring out the genre of your"},{"startTime":563.55,"endTime":565.65,"body":"story, you can go back and listen to episode."},{"startTime":565.65,"endTime":566.28,"body":"Number two,"},{"startTime":566.34,"endTime":569.25,"body":"that's all about choosing the right Shannara for your idea."},{"startTime":569.52,"endTime":571.83,"body":"I willing to that episode in the show notes for easy"},{"startTime":571.83,"endTime":572.88,"body":"access as well,"},{"startTime":573.21,"endTime":574.5,"body":"but that's reason number three,"},{"startTime":574.5,"endTime":576.18,"body":"that someone might stop reading a novel."},{"startTime":576.39,"endTime":579.18,"body":"They might stop reading if they have no idea what kind"},{"startTime":579.18,"endTime":580.62,"body":"of story they're actually reading,"},{"startTime":581.01,"endTime":582.12,"body":"moving on to reason."},{"startTime":582.12,"endTime":582.81,"body":"Number four,"},{"startTime":583.32,"endTime":585.87,"body":"the fourth reason that a reader might stop reading a novel"},{"startTime":585.87,"endTime":588.3,"body":"is because they've seen the same thing before."},{"startTime":588.54,"endTime":588.99,"body":"And I'd say,"},{"startTime":588.99,"endTime":591.66,"body":"this is one where readers might be a little more forgiving"},{"startTime":591.66,"endTime":592.44,"body":"than the others."},{"startTime":592.44,"endTime":594.9,"body":"But what I mean by this is that if an opening"},{"startTime":594.9,"endTime":597.66,"body":"scene of a story is something we've seen a million times"},{"startTime":597.66,"endTime":599.58,"body":"before. So for example,"},{"startTime":599.58,"endTime":601.59,"body":"the heroine of a story going on a run,"},{"startTime":601.8,"endTime":602.82,"body":"the hero of a story,"},{"startTime":602.82,"endTime":605.76,"body":"waking up in bed from a bad dream or the bad"},{"startTime":605.76,"endTime":606.84,"body":"guys on a plane,"},{"startTime":606.87,"endTime":608.58,"body":"planning, something suspicious,"},{"startTime":608.73,"endTime":609.03,"body":"you know,"},{"startTime":609.03,"endTime":609.9,"body":"things like that."},{"startTime":610.14,"endTime":612.99,"body":"Then it's probably not going to be that compelling for readers."},{"startTime":613.41,"endTime":616.29,"body":"And this matters because we want to pull readers into our"},{"startTime":616.29,"endTime":618.03,"body":"story as quickly as possible,"},{"startTime":618.06,"endTime":620.82,"body":"right? So we don't want to give them any reason for"},{"startTime":620.82,"endTime":623.52,"body":"putting our book down before they even get into the meat"},{"startTime":623.52,"endTime":624.27,"body":"of the story."},{"startTime":624.66,"endTime":627.45,"body":"And if you suspect that you've done this in your draft,"},{"startTime":627.45,"endTime":629.31,"body":"you have two options for fixing it."},{"startTime":629.61,"endTime":632.31,"body":"Number one is that you can either change your opening to"},{"startTime":632.31,"endTime":636.0,"body":"be something more meaningful and compelling where number two,"},{"startTime":636.0,"endTime":638.61,"body":"you can find a way to make the scene of say"},{"startTime":638.61,"endTime":640.17,"body":"your heroin going for a run,"},{"startTime":640.35,"endTime":643.95,"body":"more compelling and meaningful so that it feels different and therefore"},{"startTime":643.98,"endTime":644.91,"body":"more interesting."},{"startTime":645.24,"endTime":646.44,"body":"And really either way,"},{"startTime":646.47,"endTime":649.26,"body":"what you want to do is take whatever's happening and just"},{"startTime":649.26,"endTime":651.72,"body":"make it very specific to your protagonist."},{"startTime":652.14,"endTime":655.08,"body":"Recently, I worked with a writer whose opening scene was the"},{"startTime":655.08,"endTime":656.82,"body":"heroin coming back from a run,"},{"startTime":657.12,"endTime":660.03,"body":"but it wasn't just a random person going for a random"},{"startTime":660.03,"endTime":663.09,"body":"run. Being a runner was a very large part of this"},{"startTime":663.09,"endTime":664.29,"body":"character's identity."},{"startTime":664.47,"endTime":667.38,"body":"So we were able to show that through the context of"},{"startTime":667.38,"endTime":670.2,"body":"the scene and just set up the conflict that had nothing"},{"startTime":670.2,"endTime":672.45,"body":"to do with running in a way that was going to"},{"startTime":672.45,"endTime":673.41,"body":"pull readers in."},{"startTime":673.68,"endTime":675.24,"body":"So a little bit of a caveat there,"},{"startTime":675.24,"endTime":677.34,"body":"there are ways to make scenes like this work."},{"startTime":677.37,"endTime":677.88,"body":"It's just,"},{"startTime":678.09,"endTime":678.93,"body":"you have to ask,"},{"startTime":678.96,"endTime":680.73,"body":"is it really appropriate for the story?"},{"startTime":680.73,"endTime":683.31,"body":"Or can I do better knowing my characters and knowing my"},{"startTime":683.31,"endTime":686.67,"body":"plot. And this is where that whole writing something that's quote"},{"startTime":686.67,"endTime":687.6,"body":"unquote the same,"},{"startTime":687.6,"endTime":689.37,"body":"but different comes into play."},{"startTime":689.58,"endTime":692.64,"body":"So you do need to deliver on the kinds of things"},{"startTime":692.64,"endTime":694.59,"body":"readers are expecting from your genre,"},{"startTime":694.65,"endTime":697.32,"body":"but you also need to be able to innovate the conventions"},{"startTime":697.35,"endTime":700.35,"body":"of your genre rather than simply regurgitating them."},{"startTime":700.71,"endTime":701.4,"body":"And to me,"},{"startTime":701.4,"endTime":703.17,"body":"this is where mastery comes in."},{"startTime":703.32,"endTime":704.76,"body":"So when we're first starting out,"},{"startTime":704.76,"endTime":707.58,"body":"we might end up writing scenes similar to what's already out"},{"startTime":707.58,"endTime":708.75,"body":"there and that's okay,"},{"startTime":709.05,"endTime":710.61,"body":"but as you get better and better,"},{"startTime":710.61,"endTime":712.59,"body":"and as you write further into your draft,"},{"startTime":712.62,"endTime":715.12,"body":"you're going to think of ways to innovate on what's been"},{"startTime":715.12,"endTime":715.84,"body":"done before."},{"startTime":716.2,"endTime":718.72,"body":"And really this is a skill that just takes time and"},{"startTime":718.72,"endTime":719.83,"body":"practice to develop."},{"startTime":719.95,"endTime":722.02,"body":"So don't worry if you feel like you're not there yet,"},{"startTime":722.05,"endTime":722.8,"body":"it will come."},{"startTime":723.1,"endTime":723.79,"body":"But for now,"},{"startTime":723.79,"endTime":726.34,"body":"if you want to hear a bit more about genre conventions"},{"startTime":726.34,"endTime":728.47,"body":"and how to make sure that you don't go into cliche"},{"startTime":728.47,"endTime":729.55,"body":"territory with them,"},{"startTime":729.82,"endTime":731.8,"body":"go check out episode number 16,"},{"startTime":731.86,"endTime":733.93,"body":"that's all about the difference between genre,"},{"startTime":733.93,"endTime":735.22,"body":"conventions and tropes."},{"startTime":735.58,"endTime":737.8,"body":"I will also link to that episode in the show notes"},{"startTime":737.8,"endTime":739.42,"body":"for easy access as well,"},{"startTime":739.75,"endTime":740.83,"body":"but that wraps up reason."},{"startTime":740.83,"endTime":741.31,"body":"Number four,"},{"startTime":741.31,"endTime":742.78,"body":"that a reader might stop reading."},{"startTime":742.99,"endTime":745.66,"body":"So a reader might stop reading because they've seen the same"},{"startTime":745.66,"endTime":747.52,"body":"things done in the same way before."},{"startTime":748.03,"endTime":749.11,"body":"Moving on to reason."},{"startTime":749.11,"endTime":749.89,"body":"Number five,"},{"startTime":750.22,"endTime":753.1,"body":"the fifth reason a reader might stop reading is because they"},{"startTime":753.1,"endTime":754.96,"body":"don't care about what happens next."},{"startTime":755.32,"endTime":757.78,"body":"And the easiest way I like to think about this is"},{"startTime":757.78,"endTime":760.03,"body":"that the point of view character in a story is the"},{"startTime":760.03,"endTime":762.64,"body":"reader's avatar for experiencing the story."},{"startTime":763.03,"endTime":765.46,"body":"So whatever that point of view character feels,"},{"startTime":765.49,"endTime":767.59,"body":"the reader would ideally feel too."},{"startTime":767.92,"endTime":771.01,"body":"And if there's nothing to make the protagonists curious and or"},{"startTime":771.01,"endTime":772.63,"body":"constantly moving forward,"},{"startTime":772.81,"endTime":775.06,"body":"then there's going to be nothing to make the reader feel"},{"startTime":775.06,"endTime":775.99,"body":"that way either."},{"startTime":776.35,"endTime":778.18,"body":"And this does relate back to reason."},{"startTime":778.18,"endTime":778.78,"body":"Number two,"},{"startTime":778.78,"endTime":781.06,"body":"where we talked about how readers might stop reading,"},{"startTime":781.06,"endTime":783.46,"body":"if they don't connect with the point of view character in"},{"startTime":783.46,"endTime":784.03,"body":"a story."},{"startTime":784.27,"endTime":786.64,"body":"But I have another angle on this one in terms of"},{"startTime":786.64,"endTime":788.83,"body":"what you can do to avoid this in your draft."},{"startTime":789.16,"endTime":790.87,"body":"So if you think you have this problem,"},{"startTime":790.87,"endTime":793.21,"body":"or if beta readers have brought this to your attention,"},{"startTime":793.45,"endTime":797.05,"body":"chances are pretty good that your protagonist isn't trying to find"},{"startTime":797.05,"endTime":798.04,"body":"out, discover,"},{"startTime":798.07,"endTime":800.95,"body":"learn, or do something in your actual pages."},{"startTime":801.25,"endTime":802.3,"body":"So in other words,"},{"startTime":802.3,"endTime":804.79,"body":"your protagonist probably lacks agency."},{"startTime":805.33,"endTime":807.85,"body":"So you'll definitely want to go back and flush out your"},{"startTime":807.85,"endTime":810.76,"body":"protagonist or your point of view characters more if this is"},{"startTime":810.76,"endTime":811.42,"body":"the case,"},{"startTime":811.78,"endTime":814.87,"body":"but you'll also want to think in terms of evoking questions"},{"startTime":814.87,"endTime":819.52,"body":"and providing answers for both your protagonist and by extension your"},{"startTime":819.52,"endTime":824.23,"body":"readers. So once the central conflict has sucked your protagonist in"},{"startTime":824.29,"endTime":826.18,"body":"what might they want to find out,"},{"startTime":826.21,"endTime":827.29,"body":"learn, discover,"},{"startTime":827.29,"endTime":827.92,"body":"or do."},{"startTime":828.25,"endTime":829.75,"body":"And as a random example,"},{"startTime":829.75,"endTime":832.93,"body":"let's say your protagonist is a detective and they've just been"},{"startTime":832.93,"endTime":834.67,"body":"assigned a murder investigation."},{"startTime":835.0,"endTime":837.61,"body":"They are not going to be sitting around waiting for clues"},{"startTime":837.61,"endTime":838.42,"body":"to come to them,"},{"startTime":838.45,"endTime":839.77,"body":"right? Instead,"},{"startTime":839.8,"endTime":841.36,"body":"they're going to have to start somewhere."},{"startTime":841.36,"endTime":843.4,"body":"They're going to have to start looking into one thing that"},{"startTime":843.4,"endTime":846.19,"body":"will lead to another thing and then another and another,"},{"startTime":846.19,"endTime":848.17,"body":"until they finally figure out who done it."},{"startTime":848.74,"endTime":850.87,"body":"And I know we're not all writing murder mysteries,"},{"startTime":850.87,"endTime":853.06,"body":"but you can really apply this to any genre."},{"startTime":853.27,"endTime":856.57,"body":"So let's look at an example from a made-up action adventure"},{"startTime":856.57,"endTime":859.48,"body":"story, let's say the bad guys have come in and set"},{"startTime":859.48,"endTime":861.22,"body":"fire to your protagonist town."},{"startTime":861.25,"endTime":862.99,"body":"And now he or she is on the run."},{"startTime":863.35,"endTime":866.56,"body":"So they finally arrive in a neighboring village and they don't"},{"startTime":866.56,"endTime":867.31,"body":"know what to do."},{"startTime":867.58,"endTime":869.95,"body":"It's highly unlikely that they're going to sit there and do"},{"startTime":869.95,"endTime":870.82,"body":"nothing, right?"},{"startTime":871.21,"endTime":873.97,"body":"So what might be the first question that they ask of"},{"startTime":873.97,"endTime":875.26,"body":"themselves or others?"},{"startTime":875.56,"endTime":878.08,"body":"Maybe they want to know if a sibling that they had"},{"startTime":878.08,"endTime":879.88,"body":"back in their village is still alive."},{"startTime":880.03,"endTime":882.01,"body":"Maybe they want to know how to get to a different"},{"startTime":882.01,"endTime":884.29,"body":"location from their current location,"},{"startTime":884.53,"endTime":886.99,"body":"or they might need to find a new way of traveling"},{"startTime":887.02,"endTime":887.92,"body":"or who knows,"},{"startTime":888.19,"endTime":890.26,"body":"but let's say they want to find out what happened to"},{"startTime":890.26,"endTime":890.98,"body":"their sibling."},{"startTime":891.2,"endTime":894.83,"body":"So by asking questions and pursuing the answer to what happened"},{"startTime":894.83,"endTime":897.26,"body":"to their sibling readers will be curious too,"},{"startTime":897.29,"endTime":898.97,"body":"because your protagonist cares."},{"startTime":899.24,"endTime":902.63,"body":"So because your protagonist wants the answers and because they care"},{"startTime":902.66,"endTime":905.18,"body":"readers will want the answer and they will care too."},{"startTime":905.63,"endTime":908.03,"body":"And then let's say this character finds their sibling,"},{"startTime":908.03,"endTime":910.91,"body":"but they learned something else while finding their sibling."},{"startTime":910.94,"endTime":912.5,"body":"That prompts a new question."},{"startTime":912.77,"endTime":915.41,"body":"So now we can just start the cycle over and keep"},{"startTime":915.41,"endTime":917.78,"body":"going until we reach the very end of the book."},{"startTime":918.11,"endTime":920.3,"body":"So I just want you to keep in mind this thought"},{"startTime":920.3,"endTime":923.81,"body":"of questions and answers to help pull your protagonist and your"},{"startTime":923.81,"endTime":926.39,"body":"reader through the story and keep them curious."},{"startTime":926.81,"endTime":928.49,"body":"So that's reason number five,"},{"startTime":928.49,"endTime":929.93,"body":"that a reader might stop reading."},{"startTime":929.99,"endTime":932.54,"body":"They might stop reading a novel because they don't care about"},{"startTime":932.54,"endTime":933.62,"body":"what happens next."},{"startTime":933.95,"endTime":936.98,"body":"And that wraps up the five reasons why readers might stop"},{"startTime":936.98,"endTime":937.91,"body":"reading a novel."},{"startTime":938.15,"endTime":939.83,"body":"And there are probably more reasons,"},{"startTime":939.83,"endTime":942.47,"body":"but these are what I see as the five most likely"},{"startTime":942.47,"endTime":944.81,"body":"reasons. So I hope they were helpful for you."},{"startTime":944.81,"endTime":947.9,"body":"And I hope they illuminated some mistakes that you could potentially"},{"startTime":947.9,"endTime":949.19,"body":"avoid in your own draft."},{"startTime":949.43,"endTime":950.57,"body":"Now, before I let you go,"},{"startTime":950.57,"endTime":952.16,"body":"let's do a really quick recap."},{"startTime":952.43,"endTime":954.98,"body":"The first reason that a reader might stop reading is that"},{"startTime":954.98,"endTime":957.65,"body":"nothing meaningful is happening in the opening pages."},{"startTime":957.92,"endTime":958.85,"body":"And to avoid this,"},{"startTime":958.85,"endTime":961.52,"body":"you just want to make sure that something compelling is happening"},{"startTime":961.52,"endTime":963.65,"body":"in your draft from the very first page."},{"startTime":963.95,"endTime":966.8,"body":"And remember this doesn't have to be crazy action or plane"},{"startTime":966.8,"endTime":968.09,"body":"crashes or anything like that."},{"startTime":968.18,"endTime":971.12,"body":"It just needs to be something meaningful and impactful to your"},{"startTime":971.12,"endTime":973.64,"body":"character. So if they care readers will care."},{"startTime":973.94,"endTime":976.55,"body":"The second reason that a reader might stop reading is because"},{"startTime":976.55,"endTime":978.71,"body":"it's hard to connect with a point of view character."},{"startTime":978.98,"endTime":980.06,"body":"So to avoid this,"},{"startTime":980.06,"endTime":981.74,"body":"you really just want to make sure that your point of"},{"startTime":981.74,"endTime":985.13,"body":"view character has a clear and believable goal and motivation,"},{"startTime":985.37,"endTime":988.13,"body":"and that they're also reacting to what's happening in the scene."},{"startTime":988.16,"endTime":989.78,"body":"Just like we would in real life."},{"startTime":990.2,"endTime":992.84,"body":"The third reason a reader might stop reading is because they"},{"startTime":992.84,"endTime":995.03,"body":"can't tell what kind of story they're reading."},{"startTime":995.39,"endTime":996.5,"body":"So to avoid this,"},{"startTime":996.5,"endTime":998.72,"body":"you really just want to make sure that you have genre"},{"startTime":998.72,"endTime":1002.17,"body":"consistency or that you've created a genre hierarchy."},{"startTime":1002.32,"endTime":1005.14,"body":"So pick one to sit on top of that hierarchy and"},{"startTime":1005.14,"endTime":1008.89,"body":"then have supporting sub genres or subplots underneath that."},{"startTime":1009.43,"endTime":1012.16,"body":"The fourth reason a reader might stop reading is because they've"},{"startTime":1012.16,"endTime":1015.07,"body":"seen the same thing done in the same way before."},{"startTime":1015.4,"endTime":1016.48,"body":"So to avoid this,"},{"startTime":1016.48,"endTime":1019.12,"body":"you really just want to keep writing and keep practicing,"},{"startTime":1019.12,"endTime":1021.82,"body":"because you're going to think of ways to innovate on what's"},{"startTime":1021.82,"endTime":1022.9,"body":"been done before,"},{"startTime":1023.05,"endTime":1026.05,"body":"but it's not going to be something that magically happens overnight."},{"startTime":1026.32,"endTime":1028.78,"body":"This is also why I don't like writers to get stuck"},{"startTime":1028.78,"endTime":1029.98,"body":"on their very first chapter."},{"startTime":1029.98,"endTime":1032.44,"body":"Because sometimes if you go to the end of your draft,"},{"startTime":1032.47,"endTime":1035.47,"body":"you'll have a much better idea for a strong and compelling"},{"startTime":1035.47,"endTime":1039.22,"body":"opening that is maybe more specific or meaningful or impactful to"},{"startTime":1039.22,"endTime":1040.18,"body":"your protagonist."},{"startTime":1040.51,"endTime":1041.98,"body":"So that's reason number four,"},{"startTime":1042.31,"endTime":1044.44,"body":"the fifth reason a reader might stop reading is that they"},{"startTime":1044.44,"endTime":1046.21,"body":"just don't care what happens next."},{"startTime":1046.48,"endTime":1047.53,"body":"So to avoid this,"},{"startTime":1047.53,"endTime":1050.14,"body":"you want to think in terms of questions and answers,"},{"startTime":1050.44,"endTime":1053.53,"body":"and really you want your protagonist to be pursuing something."},{"startTime":1053.53,"endTime":1054.67,"body":"So trying to learn,"},{"startTime":1054.7,"endTime":1057.16,"body":"do discover or find out something."},{"startTime":1057.37,"endTime":1059.41,"body":"And you need to make sure that they have the right"},{"startTime":1059.41,"endTime":1061.48,"body":"amount of agency to go after that."},{"startTime":1061.63,"endTime":1063.85,"body":"So think in terms of questions and answers,"},{"startTime":1063.85,"endTime":1065.47,"body":"because if your character is curious,"},{"startTime":1065.5,"endTime":1067.9,"body":"your reader will most likely feel curious as well."},{"startTime":1069.77,"endTime":1072.47,"body":"So that's it for today's show as always."},{"startTime":1072.47,"endTime":1074.51,"body":"I want to thank you so much for tuning in and"},{"startTime":1074.51,"endTime":1075.53,"body":"showing your support."},{"startTime":1076.31,"endTime":1077.87,"body":"If you want to check out any of the links I"},{"startTime":1077.87,"endTime":1079.13,"body":"mentioned in this episode,"},{"startTime":1079.13,"endTime":1082.04,"body":"you can find them over@savannahguilbeau.com"},{"startTime":1082.04,"endTime":1083.6,"body":"forward slash podcast."},{"startTime":1084.35,"endTime":1085.64,"body":"And if you haven't done so already,"},{"startTime":1085.64,"endTime":1088.1,"body":"make sure you subscribe to the show because there's going to"},{"startTime":1088.1,"endTime":1090.56,"body":"be another brand new episode coming out next week."},{"startTime":1092.6,"endTime":1093.59,"body":"If you're an apple user,"},{"startTime":1093.59,"endTime":1094.64,"body":"I'd really appreciate it."},{"startTime":1094.64,"endTime":1096.77,"body":"If you took a few seconds to leave a quick rating"},{"startTime":1096.77,"endTime":1098.9,"body":"and review your ratings and reviews,"},{"startTime":1098.9,"endTime":1102.35,"body":"tell iTunes that this is a podcast that's worth listening to"},{"startTime":1102.86,"endTime":1105.38,"body":"and in turn that helps this show get in front of"},{"startTime":1105.38,"endTime":1106.43,"body":"more fiction writers,"},{"startTime":1106.43,"endTime":1107.12,"body":"just like you."},{"startTime":1108.89,"endTime":1110.27,"body":"So that's it for today's show."},{"startTime":1110.39,"endTime":1113.45,"body":"I'll be back next week with a brand new episode until"},{"startTime":1113.45,"endTime":1114.68,"body":"then happy writing."}]}