Dear Writer, Your Reader Needs You

To write a novel is one thing, but to make your reader feel pure emotion while reading your novel, whether it be frustration, anger, sadness, love or even a little happiness, this is something to be proud of. You need to affect the reader in a significant way... in a way that will cause them to come alive and want to talk about it. It, being your novel. And, if they talk about your novel, you, as a writer and author, have done your job. Sounds so easy, doesn't it?

I love these quotes from two brilliant authors... Frank Kafka and Stephen King, about writing books:

10 Things Readers Demand From Writers:

1. Readers prefer no spelling errors or misuse of grammar. (Although, 50 Shades of Grey was an exception to this rule for it sold 100 million copies and it was littered with errors, starting on the very first page).
2. Readers want a strong plot.
3. Readers like to hear a story from a unique voice and perspective.
4. Readers love well-developed, diverse characters... characters they will fall in love with, or ones they love to hate. Characters that share secrets, they have never heard of. Characters with problems and issues, they don't know how to deal with. Or, characters that share something with the reader, whether it be playing the same sport, losing a family member, sharing the same disease, etc. Give them someone to relate to, to feel something for.
5. Readers love characters with believable motivation behind their actions. There needs to be reasons behind their madness and decision making.
6. Readers love believable action. (80,000 word car chase, followed by a truck chase, followed by a train chase, does not make a good novel, unless it is a Die Hard movie).
7. Readers want you to take them on a journey, showing them why it's important to take the ride with you.
8. Readers love to be inspired and motivated. They want to feel some magic flowing through their bodies.
9. Readers want to be entertained. They want to experience the roller-coaster of emotions bubbling from their heart.
10. Readers want to be taken into a different world... an imaginary world, where life is different for them, sometimes the complete opposite of their ordinary life... or sometimes, the exact same life, with different outcomes.

So, what are you waiting for? Go write the novel, these readers are dying to embrace. Give them something to talk about.