My YA novel The Gardener was released this week. It’s hard to celebrate when I’m still in my I can’t-believe-Lost-is-over-forever mode. And then I realized something. Everything I need to know about writing a novel I learned from Lost.
1. You need a hero. Or two. Or four. Make them likeable. But give them flaws, because your reader will care about them more if they aren’t perfect. Include quirky and outlandish back stories if you can.
2. Make your heroes thirsty. And hungry. They will bond faster. A token pregnant woman is a guaranteed instant win-win. Everyone loves an impending birth.
3. Have a villain. Or two. Or four. Make them real meanies. This will also progress the bonding of the heroes. Good and evil ambiguity is always a plus because it makes your reader feel smarter for figuring out who the bad guy really is.
4. Make the setting and surrounding area plausible. (Don’t put polar bears in a tropical jungle. That would just be silly.)
