Top 5 Tips Writers Can Learn From Reality TV

All right, I have to admit it. I love reality TV. I watch The Bachelor, I watch Project Runway (Allstars is awesome by the way! Anyone see Miss Piggy?). I get caught up sometimes. Not with all of them, but I enjoy these shows.

Maybe you're not a television fan, or at least not reality television, and that's just fine. Because you have ME to tell you writers out there just what it is about reality TV that keeps the fans coming back for more. Or even better, what YOU can take away from reality television and use in your own writing.

Relatable (or Unrelatable) Characters

Yeah, so sometimes I can't really relate to someone who is trying to wow Mr. Bachelor with her stellar flirting skills. But what we weekly watchers can relate to is that these women, or men, on these shows are real people. They're vulnerable. Like when they give you the back story on American Idol and you exclaim, "Oh, man, now I really want Monique to win!" And even we we don't exactly like they way certain people play the game or portray themselves on national television, we still have some sort of emotion toward them. They have feelings, they have aspirations and dreams, and we all know what that's like!

Conflict (or Drama!)

Reality TV is full of drama. Sometimes that's precisely why people DON'T like it. But one thing that's for sure, that's what keeps the ratings up. There's always something in every episode. A family emergency, a new character stepping onto the scene, the past rearing its ugly head in someone's life. Or someone simply showing their vulnerability, having a bit of a break down, and changing the course of the show. We want these things for our stories. We want conflict!

The Unknown

This is also what we want for our books! Reality TV has the penchant to catch us off balance, and that's not a bad thing - particularly not for writing books. There are plenty of times you have no idea what's going to happen and that's a characteristic of a good book. We don't want cliche storylines or settings (which is why I'm seriously going to try hard with my new WIP to NOT write even ONE scene in a coffee shop).

The Unexpected

This kind of goes along with the unknown. This is all about characters. On these reality shows, people have bigger than life personalities, they act in ways we don't expect. Yes, we want our readers to relate to our characters, but we also have to give them insistent personalities. Characters that aren't going to just let life happen to them, but are going to make things happen.

Cliffhangers and Hooks

Oh yeah. Leaving us hanging is a reality (or even regular TV) shows greatest tool. They hook us before commercials and hook us at the end of the show. As someone who isn't fabulous with hooks, I could learn a lot here. Ending chapters or scenes at just the right time, with something for the reader to hang onto, will help keep up pacing and give your readers (like reality television watchers) something to tune in for.

So if you're not a fan of The Bachelor, is this making you want to try it? It's okay if it isn't. We're writers, after all, and we're supposed to be focusing on writing, not TV. After this season is over, however, I'll probably get a LOT more writing done.

What about all you writers out there? Have you learned anything about writing from television, and which tip is easiest or hardest for you in your writing?


***photo courtesy of ABC

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Cindy is a Colorado native, living near the mountains with her husband and three beautiful daughters. She writes contemporary Christian romance, seeking to enrich lives with her stories of faith, love, and a touch of humor.

To learn more about Cindy, visit her at her personal blog, www.cindyrwilson.blogspot.com

What is Your Novel Missing? Hooks

For the last few weeks we've been talking about what could be missing from our novels - mostly based on key things I notice lacking from my own work. If you'd like to read the other posts, you can check out Senses or Deep POV.

This week, it's all about drawing readers into the story with every new scene, or keeping them reading at the end of every scene or chapter. We writers like to call these read on prompts and hooks.

They make you want to read on. They make you look at the clock, know it's too late to keep reading, but you have to do it anyway.

Asking a Question

Hooks make you ask a question, or maybe make you wonder what's going to happen next. For example...

It wasn't the worst break-up he'd had, but close.

This hook makes you ask who is this guy? What was the worst break-up he'd had, or why did he just break up with someone? Anything that immediately makes your reader want to read on to answer a question is a hook.

The Right Time During the Action

Dropping readers in the middle of action is a great way to hook readers and make them want to read on.

Cecily's car skidded sideways, her foot pumping uselessly against the break. Ice bloomed out all around her and her hands spasmed against the wheel. She spotted the tree two short breaths before the impact.

Starting a scene in the middle of action is a quick and simple way to snag your reader.

Cliffhangers

Just as it's a good tactic to start a scene at the best place during the action, it's a great idea to hook at reader at the end of a scene by stopping in the middle of action.

Banging his knuckles on the back door of the restaurant, Mason muttered about his phone, just as irritated with himself for leaving his cell inside as he was with Rebecca for distracting him with all her problems. When no one answered he cupped his hands around his eyes and peered inside the window.

Light refracted off broken glass, a dark liquid spread across the floor inside. His stomach clenched, his feet backing up automatically until they hit a hard surface. Then a hand clamped on his shoulder.

Leave your character wanting to turn the page to see what's going to happen next. Is Mason in danger? Is someone hurt? Make your reader keep reading.

Character Revelations

Reveal something new about a character to either start or end a chapter. It connects the reader to your character and makes your reader want more.

Maggie eased open the front door at the sound of the bell. A bouquet of red roses sat directly in front, baby's breath filling out the rest of the crystal vase. She swallowed hard. A sweet gesture for sure, but the last time she'd gotten such an extravagant display of flowers it had preceded a proposal.

And last time, Maggie swore she'd never get herself in a serious relationship like that again.

Revealing history or information and quirks about your character is a useful way to get readers to want to know more.

Other ways to implement a hook are to use humor, state something that makes the reader think, or use an interesting piece of dialogue.

Invest some extra time in starting or ending chapters in a way that makes the reader want more and you've accomplished a challenging feat, but one that will really help your story.

What are some ways you hook a reader into wanting more?

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Cindy is a Colorado native, living near the mountains with her husband and three beautiful daughters. She writes contemporary Christian romance, seeking to enrich lives with her stories of faith, love, and a touch of humor.

To learn more about Cindy, visit her at her personal blog, www.cindyrwilson.blogspot.com