A New Way of Looking at Fiction Writing

When I first published, a writer friend with much more time in than I, showed me how to analyze Amazon’s data on authors’ sales records. I was amazed that writers I never heard of were making $100,000 + a year. So, I bought their books, read them, and did an analysis of what they shared in common.

They built a fan base around a type of book and then kept writing that type of book. The “type” corresponded to what physiological/emotional set point the book activated. For instance, erotica fiction is designed to stimulate the male testes and female ovaries to produce sex hormones—androgen and estrogen. It aims to give the libido a ride. Crane’s “Girl in a Box” series kept me breathless throughout the well-choreographed fight scenes between the young female heroine and the monster villains, which activated my adrenal glands. The mystery books stimulate readers’ cerebral cortex that solves puzzles. And the feel-good books target the endocrine system. This system speaks to the heart of what is considered good or at least lucrative writing, so let’s take a closer look.

There are four chemicals excreted that have a direct and specific effect on readers’ moods. They are:

Dopamine—Anticipates happiness

Oxytocin—Creates feelings of empathy and trust

Serotonin—Reflects degree of physical hunger

Endorphins—Excites readers to power through

I would be bored writing the same book repeatedly, so here an alternative approach. Start with characters that are sympathetic, quirky, or interesting to you. That gives you a story premise rooted in authentic, sympathetic characters that are relatable to readers. (oxytocin). I also make sure when I use unreliable narrators that the reader is in on the deception to generate sympathy for the characters. Generate dopamine through suspense and pace that releases information so there are surprises along the way. No spoilers in the book description or teasers. I minimize “information dumps” in favor of creating plot twists that reveals what the reader needs to know when the reader needs to know it to follow the plot. Serotonin is stimulated by talking about food. My stories spend time on eating and sometimes combining food with sex. And my books can be long, so I reward readers for turning each page with a surprise.

Do I make $100,000 a year? Nope. But I enjoy writing and people I respect enjoy my books.