How To Create Unique, Compelling Stories That Don't Feel Generic
Because your story deserves to be read!
I think it's safe to say that every writer has felt a rush of excitement when they write a story that matters to them. No matter the genre, you find yourself getting emotionally invested in the story you're crafting, and after spending so much time, energy, and effort into creating this manuscript, you understandably want people to be excited about your book, too!
This is a totally reasonable goal! However, with such a saturated book market, it can be hard to make your story stand out. The good news is that there are steps you can take while in the writing, editing, and revising stages to give your book a better chance at standing out. (There are, of course, many other steps that you'll want to take to ensure your manuscript grabs readers' attention, including marketing, which we've talked about in other posts.)
So, let's take a look at a few ways you can write the best possible story that readers will remember long after they've closed your book!
Make readers care about your characters and their world.
This might sound like the most obvious tip ever. Obviously, you want readers to care about the characters and world you're writing about! However, getting readers to care isn't exactly easy.
There are an endless number of ways you can get readers invested in your story, but there are several important tenets you'll want to follow. These include
Writing a good "hook" (meaning the first few lines of the book) that immediately piques readers' curiosity and brings them into the story;
Following up the hook with writing of the same quality (i.e., don't spend all your time on a hook and let the rest of the chapter(s) fall flat);
Researching when necessary and making any relevant information a natural part of the story;
Balancing showing versus telling details;
Using a consistent, clear, and unique voice throughout the manuscript, no matter what perspective you're writing from;
Giving your characters faults and flaws; most readers tend to get annoyed with characters that are perfect because no one in the real world is;
Weaving in details that show the reader how the world functions and why it functions that way;
Showing readers your characters' motivations, habits, and mannerisms that differentiate them from other characters;
Creating tension that feels urgent and plausible (i.e., the conflict feels realistic, and it feels like it matters);
Subtly introducing overarching themes and character growth that feels earned rather than forced;
Showing interesting, varied relationships between characters;
Writing dynamic settings that add to the tone and mood of the story; and,
Being consistent with the rules you've established in your world.
Know when to meet and when to subvert expectations.
Many authors, at least when they're first starting out, push back against the idea of using tropes or adhering to typical "rules" in their genre or subgenre. If you want your book to stand out, shouldn't it go against these norms?
Well, yes and no. If you go too far outside of what readers expect in the genre, you're likely going to frustrate a vast majority of your readers. You probably wouldn't want to pick up a book thinking it was a cozy mystery only to find out that it was a dark romantasy book (or vice versa), right? So, you want to make it clear by the way you write your story (as well as the way you write your book description) what kind of story you're telling. In this sense, you want to give readers what they're looking for. Sticking to a conventional story structure and including certain tropes aren't inherently bad things.
However, you also want to know when to subvert readers' expectations. Surprising your readers by introducing an unexpected and well-executed twist can make your book linger in readers' minds and have them reading your book time and time again. If you've read any modern retellings of classic stories like Little Red Riding Hood or Cinderella, you can see how authors have taken these fairy tales and turned them into something familiar yet new.
Raise the stakes.
"If something can go wrong, it will go wrong," according to Murphy's law, and sometimes, you want to apply this to your story. In practice, this doesn't mean throwing every possible bad thing at your character at once; it means that your characters often have to suffer and go through hardships to achieve character growth.
You need readers to understand why the central conflict in your story matters. Even if you have incredibly unique characters, if something is only a minor inconvenience to your characters or won't have a significant impact on the overall story, the conflict isn't likely to emotionally resonate with readers.
So, consider what challenges you can place in front of your characters. Ask yourself what they want, how they'll grow throughout the book (or series, if you're writing one) as a result of their struggles, and how they and the world will be changed by the issues they face. Combining high stakes with relatable characters is often a great combination that makes manuscripts really shine!
There are so many ways you can help your book stand out and ensure it's a story readers won't soon forget! We've mentioned a few of these techniques, but we'd love to know what makes a book memorable to you!
We’re building a community dedicated to helping writers share their stories with the world. Want to join us? Subscribe for free to join our community of writers bringing their stories to life, or access our free ebooks, writing templates, and more when you become a paid subscriber!
If you are writing a book and want a hand, let us know! Our team—Kim, Emily, and Jean—would love to help you with creating your book. If you'd like to talk about your idea or want advice, we are here for you. Even if we don't work together, I'm happy to share what I know. Book a 30-minute complimentary consultation by clicking here:
https://www.kwepub.com/consultation
We look forward to hearing about your incredible book project.
Write on!
Kim Eley
KWE Publishing
“You use a glass mirror to see your face; you use works of art to see your soul.”
– George Bernard Shaw
Order The Passage Advocate Now!
If you’re looking for your next fantasy fix, you won’t want to miss the first book in The Shimmering series, The Passage Advocate by author Eric T. Schönfeld!
When Johanna Langley starts seeing visions of another life, she feels her world slipping away—yet nothing could prepare her for the journey that awaited her. During a vacation in the Colorado Rockies with her boyfriend, Nate, and her son, Daniel, their retreat is abruptly ended when the trio's fate collides with a group of spring break revelers that lands them in the unthinkable—a completely foreign world seemingly unconnected with the one they left behind.
In this new world where supernatural creatures and ulterior motives from those around them are the norm, Johanna and her companions must forge alliances and navigate growing tensions among themselves. As they begin to display signs of new and mysterious abilities, they face hidden forces determined to trap and entangle them in dangerous political power struggles. With only a wise, enigmatic wizard as their guide, the companions fight to uncover the way home—if only they can survive long enough to find it.
Check Out The Global Warming Murders Today!
If you’re looking for an exciting mystery filled with intrigue, politics, and action, look no further than Forney Shell’s latest book and first work of fiction, The Global Warming Murders! Published on May 14, 2025, this exciting book is available now!
When Major Kurt Turner joined a presidential committee to recommend responses to global warming disasters, he expected hours of research, long debates, and political tensions-not murder. When one of the committee's renowned team members, a professor and ethicist, is killed under mysterious circumstances, Major Turner is thrust into an ever-changing landscape filled with secrets, conspiracies, and power plays.
As tensions rise and theories about the murder surface, he must balance his role on one of the world's most influential committees with the ongoing investigation. Quickly realizing that there is more at stake than policy changes, Major Turner must uncover the truth about the professor's death—before he becomes the next target.
Resources:
Here at KWE Publishing, we want to share a few of our favorite resources with our newsletter readers. Check back weekly to see what resources we recommend!
You might’ve heard about different types of writers—“plotters vs. pantsers,” for instance—but have you ever thought about your writer archetype as an ecosystem?
has! can help you rethink the way you approach writing. Developed by bestselling authors Monical Leonelle and Russell Nohelty, The Author Ecosystem highlights patterns the two authors noticed after working with hundreds of authors. They share, “We believe that identifying your ideal author ecosystem and focusing on marketing actions that work with your natural tendencies is the surest path to thrive as an author.”If you want to figure out what your ecosystem is, you can take the quiz here!
