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Let’s talk about the villain... who steals the spotlight.
We’re used to stories where the protagonist is brave, noble, or at the very least—likable. But what happens when the story revolves around a character who lies, cheats, destroys, and delights in doing so? Is he still the protagonist?
Spoiler: Yes.
But how does that work?
Let’s untangle the wonderfully wicked world of anti-heroes—those morally compromised protagonists who keep us turning the page, often against our better judgment.
Read more: Is Your Protagonist still the Protagonist if He's the Bad Guy?
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Because good stories—like good food—start with pizza.
Pizza is a staple of any “good food” diet, and for good reason: it’s dependable, delicious, and delightfully versatile. Whether you’re drowning in indecision or just craving comfort, pizza has your back. It's cheesy. It's saucy. It's got layers. Just like a good novel.
That’s why the Pizza Method is hands-down the best method for writing a fiction book. Forget snowflakes, hero’s journeys, or three-act structures for a minute—let’s build a story the way we build a pizza: with flavor, structure, and toppings that make your reader say, “Mmm, I want more of that!”
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Dialogue is a great tool when it comes to fiction writing, but it can also cause a book to fail very easily. People really have to be careful when it comes to writing dialogue as it can easily become weighed down. The dialogue is what helps a story have a lot of interest and flow smoothly. It is also what helps the reader get a better understanding of who the characters truly are by picking up their personality as they talk.
1. Keep it Short
Dialogue should be succinct. If there are too many large paragraphs of dialogue, the writing will start to feel weighed down. Now, there are going to be spots where an author cannot keep the dialogue short, but they should try to break these sections up as much as possible to avoid an info dump in the dialogue. It can be broken up via movement or by characters asking questions or interjecting their own thoughts.
Read more: 5 Dialogue Tips to Help You Keep Your Story Exciting
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Throughout your writing journey, you’ve probably heard or read more than a few famous author quotes, but what do they really mean? Let’s break them down so that we can use the advice in a practical manner.
1. "The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do."
--Thomas Jefferson
We might not think of the founding fathers as masters of brevity; however, Thomas Jefferson makes an excellent point here about concision. Choosing the best word for the phrase, the most precise word, is often better than a string of adjectives. Most commercial writers, in fact, should partially forget their extensive vocabulary lessons as the average reader of popular fiction can get frustrated by complex or latinate words. If you’re writing commercial fiction, you want to drive the action — that is what readers care most about. Clear, precise active language is more effective than flowery prose that goes on and on for paragraphs -- or worse, pages.
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In any given fiction work of fiction, the story is told through someone's point of view. Whether or not this is through the eyes of a hero, a villain, or multiple characters, a point of view establishes what the author wants the reader to focus on. More often than not, the narrative is told through a single lens. This aims to keep the story consistent and make it more likely for the reader to sympathize with the protagonist. Examples of this include Harry Potter. However, other books, like A Song of Ice and Fire, are told through multiple points of view.
Read more: 3 Benefits of Using Multiple Points of View (POVs) in a Fiction Book