Don't Make Your Book Good - Start With Outstanding!

Today's thought comes once again from a title I saw for a workshop at the recent RWA conference in Denver. I do want to say, like I did on the similar prior post, I did not attend the workshop, but I'm just working off of the title. 

This particular title was How to Transform a Good Book into a Great Book. Now, while the workshop focused on techniques to strengthen your story, I think there is a stronger and more effective approach to take. And yes, I am going to go there, but it is time again to talk about plotting. 

I do believe that too many authors simply sit down and start to write their novels. These are the "pantsters" of the world who feel hampered by doing any form of plotting. Unfortunately, these authors are making a huge mistake, and this is where that title comes in. 

These authors are trying to start with a mediocre story and, somehow, turn it into the #1 New York Times Best Selling Novel.

Not going to happen. 

I teach academic writing and I often use this analogy about finding the right idea for that paper. If you go to the store and buy a bad piece of steak, is there anything you can do to make it amazing? The answer is no. If you buy an incredible piece of steak, you are increasing your odds of making that meal something to remember.

I think another example would be those DIY shows on HGTV. You know the stories. Property

Brothers, Flip or Flop... the list is endless. I am always amazed at Tarek and Christina. How many times have they started with a pathetic piece of property. By the end, sure they painted, and sure they did some interesting things, but the house is not blowing us out of the water. The people who come in looking at the house like the "subway tile", "granite counter tops", and "stainless steep appliances" but that is stuff that shows up in every house these days. Not outstanding. 

But then you watch the shows where those people flipping the houses start with something really strong. The house, in the end is incredible.

The same goes for writing your story. You have to start with an amazing concept! You have to think it through first before you start banging out that story on your computer. When you have that outstanding story, then you can use those techniques recommended by the presenter of that workshop to insure that the book will be amazing once you get to that every popular - THE END.

As an agent, this is something I push with all of my authors. We want to talk about those ideas BEFORE the stories get going. We don't want to waste a lot of time writing an average story and then trying to find ways to do a massive reconstruction just to get it better. 

If you are struggling to make your book amazing, maybe you need to revisit the initial premise. If it was, as my son says, "Meh" then maybe that is where the answer can be found. You did not start with amazing.