Greetings to all lover of words! I'm FINALLY back to the Young Writer's Series, which is going to be the second-to-last post for this series. :( I think that five posts is a good amount, as I don't want visitors to think that ALL I post about is writing! I also wanted to welcome y'all to the new and improved Fiddling on the Farm! If your reading this, you've probably noticed the changes I made here on the blog, and I'd love to get your thoughts in the comments below this post! So make sure to share, and also introduce yourself if your new, I'd love to meet you! <3 Okay, let's dive right in, I'm super excited to give my personal advice for writing like your favorite authors!
So as you guys probably already know that I have quite a few favorite authors that have really impacted my reading life, and who's books have become winners on my reading list. A few are ~
- Andrew Peterson, author of The Wingfeather Saga
- S.D Smith, author of The Green Ember
Jeanne Birdsall, author of- The Penderwicks
And many more posted on my Book Reviews page...
So, point being, I've read a lot of great books by some AMAZING authors/writers, as I'm sure you have as well. But how can these people write such captivating and thought-provoking work? I mean, it seems (at least to me) like I could NEVER write anything close to what these authors have written, so why even try? Well, I'm so glad you asked! XD I've thought about a few things that make these stories so impactful, and that's what I'm sharing below! So, starting off with...
RELATABLE CHARACTERS
Think about it for a moment... what really makes The Wingfeather Saga (or your favorite series) special to YOU? One of the top things are probably the characters. Their personalities, strengths, and struggles. Each character is so unique and special, you can't HELP but love each and every one in a different way. They're relatable. In The Wingfeather Saga, Janner struggles with the responsibility of being the oldest sibling, and caring and protecting his younger brother and sister. Tink (or Kalmar) fights to prove himself trustworthy and honorable for the right to be king of Anniera. And Leeli, youngest and crippled, must use her music to protect her older brothers from harm. As you can see, Andrew Peterson has made each of these characters relatable to someone, not just one type of person. And I think that's something we should keep in mind while writing our own stories, MAKE MEANINGFUL AND RELATABLE CHARACTERS THAT PEOPLE CONNECT WITH PERSONALLY.
HAVE CREATIVE AND CAPTIVATING THEMES
Family torn apart ~ Homes destroyed ~ Sibling love like no other ~ Predator vs. prey ~ Good vs. evil
Sounds pretty exciting, huh? These are some basic themes in the Green Ember series by S.D. Smith. In this four book series, Heather and Picket, two close siblings who are torn from their quiet home in Nick Hollow and their mother, father and baby brother. These two vulnerable rabbits must stick together to find their family and take back their home. Heather and Picket make friends, plenty of enemies, and uncover many unknown secrets of the past. So to draw in your readers, make sure your themes are intriguing and unique, and different from most other books.
GIVE YOUR READERS SOMETHING THEY CAN ENGAGE WITH
Now I'm not talking about relatable characters like I mentioned above, I'm specifically noting the importance of having something your readers can engage with. For example, The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall. Four sisters, all different ages. Now this is very relatable to a lot of people. Oldest siblings can probably connect with Rosalind, while the youngest probably feels more of a draw to Batty. Make sure your readers have something that they can connect to, engage with, and learn from.
Well, thank you so much for reading to this point! I hope you enjoyed this fourth part of the Young Writer's Series, and I'm hoping part five will be coming out in the next few weeks! I'd like to do one or two regular posts in between the last part of this series, so if your not a writer, I will be going back to my regular random posting! :)
I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving, and I'll see you next time! Farewell!
~ A CLOSING QUOTE BY WARREN WIERSBE ~
“The Christian who walks with the Lord and keeps constant communion with Him will see many reason for rejoicing and thanksgiving all day long.”