Something better happen

People have a lot of things that they could be doing. There are a lot of distractions out there in the world. Committing to reading a full book is a lot to ask of them.

So, if you want them to feel satisfied when they get to the end of your story, you better make something happen. You need to create an ending that is satisfying. Most of all, you need an ending that includes something happening.

Don't let luck or chance create your ending. Don't let your ending happen off screen. Don't let nothing happen and your protagonist just be satisfied with the situation they've been in all along.

Make something happen in your writing. It's the best way to make your readers look for your next story.

Bad luck is believable

Coincidences happen, but often, when they happen in stories, it can feel like the writer is forcing something.

Mostly.

One big exception, is bad coincidences.

It feels like bad things happen all the time. If they didn't, wouldn’t we all be rich and healthy and completely happy?

So, it's only logical that bad things will happen to our characters.

We don't blink when someone in a story gets sick. It's almost normal that money debt grows because of a death or a bad farming season. At any point, someone can lose their job and need a change of life.

We all worry about bad luck and we don't find it unbelievable when it happens. So, don't hesitate to add a little of it in your character's life to keep your story moving forward.

Want to need

Here's the thing about humans: we aren't perfect.

We want things that we shouldn't and we need things that we don't prioritize.

We want to go to the concert, but we need our sleep. We want to find love, but we need to learn to be comfortable alone to overcome our anxiety. We want to go to France, but we need to save enough money to pay for a car that will get us to work every day.

There are wants and there are needs. Everyone has both.

While your story may revolve around one, don't forget that your characters have both. If they don't realize that, they will never be a full person.

The how of amateur sleuths

People love a good amateur sleuth.

They love seeing themselves in a story's protagonist and wondering if they are able to solve a crime right along with this person that has as much training as they do.

The thing is, it makes absolutely no sense sometimes how these things happen.

There is no reason some random person should have so much access to a crime scene. There is no reason police officers would be so friendly with curious passers-by. There is no way someone who hasn't studied a field can discern medical oddities.

Amateur sleuths are great, but don't get carried away. There are procedures and logic that need to be considered. Make sure that what your amateur sleuth does is possible in the real world, not only the fictional one.

Learn where your lessons are

Scripts and plays need strong dialogue. Because, really, the dialogue has to sell the piece.

Fantasy and science fiction writers have to be good at world building as their worlds are unfamiliar to their readers.

Psychological thrillers better be good at interiority, or readers are really going to miss the psychological parts.

Though all parts of writing are important all the time, there are some forms of writing that really depend on one key ingredient over the other. When you realize that you need to work on one part of your writing, find the form that exercises it the most, and then immerse yourself in the writers. Worst case, you'll have read a lot of good books along the way!

Kill your darling titles

Most writers have heard that they need to "kill their darlings." That just means that you can't hold on to something you love just because you love it. If something isn't working in your story, remove it even if you love it.

The same thing goes for your title.

Maybe the title was the first thing you thought of and inspired your entire novel. Maybe your theme is reflected in your title. Maybe your title is your favourite line from your book.

Whatever you did to choose your title, be ready to let it go.

Read your title after you've finished your book, after every edit, and when you're ready to submit. Then, be honest with yourself. Is it really the best title?

If not, kill it. No matter how darling it might be.

People make stupid mistakes

Your characters don't know what's coming next. They don't know that there is an ending already in mind for them.

And so, they are going to make stupid mistakes.

They don't know that their best friend is a killer. They don't know that last drink is one too many. They don't realize that they forgot to lock the door.

People make stupid mistakes, and your characters will too. Let them. It doesn't make them weak. It doesn't make them stupid. It just makes them human. And sometimes, it helps your story move forward.