How I’d Survive in My Novels
Authors can create anything in words. A different universe loaded with flying whales? Sure. A rooting-tooting bunch of cowboys? Easy. A book allows the author and the reader’s mind to be and do anything. How does this work? Simple, the author thinks about a topic and writes up a storm. The only problem is that their imagination limits them.
This means that they must visualize some part of themselves in the action, and I am no exception. Long before I wrote my first book, I spent hours before falling asleep thinking about adventure stories. I was the lead character and got into all kinds of trouble.
When I decided to become an author, I chose my top three ideas, and the writing battle began. Unfortunately, I made a big mistake. In my first two books, my main male character was modeled too closely to me. I did not understand that distancing a character from myself would have provided more freedom to explore the plot—rookie mistake. Fortunately, I added a few differences. So, I thought it would be a fun exercise to explore how I would do in the environments I created.
My first book is about a less-than-perfect, and mildly successful, author who gets forced to interview a woman who has been alive for over 500 years. Now, I admit to another mistake. I have since learned that readers immediately compare my plot to Stephen King’s novel, Misery. While my book has nothing to do with his novel, I should have made my main character a blogger, influencer, or English teacher. Live and learn…
How well would I fare if I were transported into my imagined reality? First, I must point out a key difference. I am not a less-than-perfect person. Yes, my life is boring, but I have far more confidence, higher ethics, greater intelligence, and am less susceptible to manipulation than my main character. This leads to a problem with my mental exercise. The immortal woman in my story searched for a specific kind of person whom she could scare into doing her bidding. Thus, only a weak individual would have survived in my story.
If I were in this situation, she would have captured me, asked me to write her story, and I would have refused. Then, she would have disposed of my body. A poorly written one-chapter book… Yikes!
Yet, there is more to this hypothetical situation. Sure, I have covered the basics, but humans are survivors. Could I navigate the situation differently, resulting in a different plot? So, I put on my thinking cap and developed an alternate possibility.
This woman is open to reason and there is a slim chance I could successfully state my case. “I have a family. Please do not kill me.” My only other option would be a fight to the death. While I am certainly not a martial arts person, I would have put in every ounce of strength to survive. Therefore, the story would contain a capture, a passionate argument, and a short, yet intense, fight scene. So… three chapters? More noodle effort required.
Let’s consider my strengths. I am more logical and realistic than my main character. Therefore, I would have identified her needs and allowed myself to become the kind of person who could have survived. Notepad in hand, I would have learned about her life just like my main character, and I can see myself enjoying the process because she is a fascinating individual.
In conclusion, if I allowed my morals to slip, I would see myself as a survivor. It would not be a great story because the main character would yield to her every wish. And it would make a lousy first book because I wanted a foundation for subsequent works. Meaning the theme of overcoming flaws would not exist, and I use this series of flaws to allow my character to grow over the following four books.
Yet, as I think about this possibility, I come to another conclusion. This outcome has a slim chance of success because my female main character is very perceptive and likely would have seen through my ruse. That is why my compelling story kept me entertained for so many years…
My second book also had a main character that hit too close to home. An electrical engineer with a family on an Alaskan cruise. Big surprise! I developed this plot while on an Alaskan cruise with my family, and I am an electrical engineer. Fortunately, like my first book, the main character and I have differences. He was more intelligent, but had less confidence, personality, and physical strength.
In the story, this male character and a young woman survive a cruise ship disaster. They hike through the foreboding Alaskan wilderness with many adventures. How would I do in this situation?
My first reaction would be to spend more time waiting to be rescued rather than trekking through the rugged wilderness. This decision is more logical and the result would be that my companion and I would have starved to death. And there is another problem, besides being an adventure, this book is a romance.
When I developed the plot, I took great care to set up the exact circumstances that would destroy the values of an upstanding married man enough to enable him to fall in love with his companion. This was a bear attack combined with confronting the loss of his family.
I am not the type of person who holds in their emotions; therefore, I would have immediately mourned for my family. Plus, while a bear is a daunting predator, I have better self-defense skills than my main character. Of course, that last sentence is easy to write in my calm office. So again, I put on my thinking cap and thought about how the real me would react.
The interactions between the two characters on the cruise ship would be different. The man is easily intimidated by a confident and attractive woman. She takes advantage of his deficiencies to help her situation, which leads to the beginning of a relationship. So, I do not think a romance would ever occur. But what about an adventure?
I have a strong drive to survive, so in desperation, I can see myself heading south in the Alaskan wilderness. The difference is that in my book, the decision process only took two pages, whereas I would require at least half a chapter to think it through. The result, while tough, would be an interesting bear attack and nothing else. Six mildly adventurous chapters conclude with the two main characters departing company with a hearty handshake. Yay, romance…
My third book is a classic spy novel, and by the time I wrote this story, I had learned my lesson. None of the characters are based on me or any aspect of my life. So, what would have happened if I wrote myself in? The answer is not much.
My story begins with two hunting buddies finding a secret installation that intercepted government communication cables. So, let’s pretend I was one of the hunters. I can see myself doing exactly what they did. Not very exciting. Why? I did not write an adventure story. It is an international mystery that governments solve through law enforcement.
The same is true of all the other characters—for example, the FBI agents. To become an FBI agent, one must undergo training and then work alongside fellow agents. So, if I were magically put into the plot as an FBI agent, I would do precisely what the FBI agents did in my plot.
This was the overall theme of my book. I wanted to create a realistic spy novel, far different from a James Bond kind of mega-hero. In my plot, characters fulfill their roles, and other characters are inadvertently drawn into the plot. I did this because this is how the real world works.
So, yes, I would be scared when the bad guys were mean, but I would react in the same way I do in daily life. Allow me to provide an “exciting” example from my real life.
Four weeks ago, I was driving home from the local movie theater at 9:30 p.m. when I saw a man running on the sidewalk. I took no interest. Suddenly, he spun around and fired a gun twice. (He may have been shooting at the person chasing him.) The event scared me silly, and I called 911 while driving away, almost hitting a car. Side note: I provided the police with my dash camera video and assisted with their investigation. So far, the case remains open.
But… Is that event worthy of writing into a book? Absolutely not, but that was not how I wrote my book. I created each fictional event not to be exciting. When combined, the total formed a thrilling plot. So, based on my recent shooting experience, I would have been frightened, but that’s it.
I have two upcoming books, which are about four years away from publishing. One is a dystopian science fiction romance, and the other is a dystopian young adult survival/drama. How would I survive in these words?
For the romantic book, I admit that the main male character is hitting too close to home again. As I polish the outline, I will try to distance myself from him. So, how would I survive this bleak, futuristic world?
At its heart, my story is a romance, not an adventure or drama. Thus, I would do fine. Meaning, the most significant battles are with the legal system. Yet, I must ask myself, “Would I make the same mistakes and decisions?”
Like my first two books, my main character has flaws that I do not have, so there would be differences, but I think the result would be the same. At its core, my story is about a man falling in love with a robot. Can I see myself in this situation? I suppose, but it would be tough to overcome my morals. (I admit it. I like women. Robots… Yeah, not so much.) I plan to make this dilemma the heart of my story. Get it? Heart. Yes, that was a pun.
My other story is about teenagers, and at this stage of development, the main female character does not have another main character to interact with. Can I set aside my reality and imagine myself as a female teenager navigating a tough, futuristic situation?
This is a difficult task because my story has many differences from the present day. Let me remind you that, like you, my brain is a product of living in today’s society. Everything I have learned socially and technically would not be present in this character. How could it? You and I are not living in a bleak future. So, let me put my thinking cap on again.
My character has far more inner strength, street smarts, a survival drive, and life experiences that are more challenging than my own. I must conclude that I would not be strong enough to survive in this future. Until this very moment, I had not considered this. Hmm. I guess I could be a minor character. But… all the minor characters are jerks.
This exercise taught me a lot about myself and my writing. I think I will do it again in a year and compare the results. Stay tuned.
You’re the best -Bill
July 09, 2025
This means that they must visualize some part of themselves in the action, and I am no exception. Long before I wrote my first book, I spent hours before falling asleep thinking about adventure stories. I was the lead character and got into all kinds of trouble.
When I decided to become an author, I chose my top three ideas, and the writing battle began. Unfortunately, I made a big mistake. In my first two books, my main male character was modeled too closely to me. I did not understand that distancing a character from myself would have provided more freedom to explore the plot—rookie mistake. Fortunately, I added a few differences. So, I thought it would be a fun exercise to explore how I would do in the environments I created.
My first book is about a less-than-perfect, and mildly successful, author who gets forced to interview a woman who has been alive for over 500 years. Now, I admit to another mistake. I have since learned that readers immediately compare my plot to Stephen King’s novel, Misery. While my book has nothing to do with his novel, I should have made my main character a blogger, influencer, or English teacher. Live and learn…
How well would I fare if I were transported into my imagined reality? First, I must point out a key difference. I am not a less-than-perfect person. Yes, my life is boring, but I have far more confidence, higher ethics, greater intelligence, and am less susceptible to manipulation than my main character. This leads to a problem with my mental exercise. The immortal woman in my story searched for a specific kind of person whom she could scare into doing her bidding. Thus, only a weak individual would have survived in my story.
If I were in this situation, she would have captured me, asked me to write her story, and I would have refused. Then, she would have disposed of my body. A poorly written one-chapter book… Yikes!
Yet, there is more to this hypothetical situation. Sure, I have covered the basics, but humans are survivors. Could I navigate the situation differently, resulting in a different plot? So, I put on my thinking cap and developed an alternate possibility.
This woman is open to reason and there is a slim chance I could successfully state my case. “I have a family. Please do not kill me.” My only other option would be a fight to the death. While I am certainly not a martial arts person, I would have put in every ounce of strength to survive. Therefore, the story would contain a capture, a passionate argument, and a short, yet intense, fight scene. So… three chapters? More noodle effort required.
Let’s consider my strengths. I am more logical and realistic than my main character. Therefore, I would have identified her needs and allowed myself to become the kind of person who could have survived. Notepad in hand, I would have learned about her life just like my main character, and I can see myself enjoying the process because she is a fascinating individual.
In conclusion, if I allowed my morals to slip, I would see myself as a survivor. It would not be a great story because the main character would yield to her every wish. And it would make a lousy first book because I wanted a foundation for subsequent works. Meaning the theme of overcoming flaws would not exist, and I use this series of flaws to allow my character to grow over the following four books.
Yet, as I think about this possibility, I come to another conclusion. This outcome has a slim chance of success because my female main character is very perceptive and likely would have seen through my ruse. That is why my compelling story kept me entertained for so many years…
My second book also had a main character that hit too close to home. An electrical engineer with a family on an Alaskan cruise. Big surprise! I developed this plot while on an Alaskan cruise with my family, and I am an electrical engineer. Fortunately, like my first book, the main character and I have differences. He was more intelligent, but had less confidence, personality, and physical strength.
In the story, this male character and a young woman survive a cruise ship disaster. They hike through the foreboding Alaskan wilderness with many adventures. How would I do in this situation?
My first reaction would be to spend more time waiting to be rescued rather than trekking through the rugged wilderness. This decision is more logical and the result would be that my companion and I would have starved to death. And there is another problem, besides being an adventure, this book is a romance.
When I developed the plot, I took great care to set up the exact circumstances that would destroy the values of an upstanding married man enough to enable him to fall in love with his companion. This was a bear attack combined with confronting the loss of his family.
I am not the type of person who holds in their emotions; therefore, I would have immediately mourned for my family. Plus, while a bear is a daunting predator, I have better self-defense skills than my main character. Of course, that last sentence is easy to write in my calm office. So again, I put on my thinking cap and thought about how the real me would react.
The interactions between the two characters on the cruise ship would be different. The man is easily intimidated by a confident and attractive woman. She takes advantage of his deficiencies to help her situation, which leads to the beginning of a relationship. So, I do not think a romance would ever occur. But what about an adventure?
I have a strong drive to survive, so in desperation, I can see myself heading south in the Alaskan wilderness. The difference is that in my book, the decision process only took two pages, whereas I would require at least half a chapter to think it through. The result, while tough, would be an interesting bear attack and nothing else. Six mildly adventurous chapters conclude with the two main characters departing company with a hearty handshake. Yay, romance…
My third book is a classic spy novel, and by the time I wrote this story, I had learned my lesson. None of the characters are based on me or any aspect of my life. So, what would have happened if I wrote myself in? The answer is not much.
My story begins with two hunting buddies finding a secret installation that intercepted government communication cables. So, let’s pretend I was one of the hunters. I can see myself doing exactly what they did. Not very exciting. Why? I did not write an adventure story. It is an international mystery that governments solve through law enforcement.
The same is true of all the other characters—for example, the FBI agents. To become an FBI agent, one must undergo training and then work alongside fellow agents. So, if I were magically put into the plot as an FBI agent, I would do precisely what the FBI agents did in my plot.
This was the overall theme of my book. I wanted to create a realistic spy novel, far different from a James Bond kind of mega-hero. In my plot, characters fulfill their roles, and other characters are inadvertently drawn into the plot. I did this because this is how the real world works.
So, yes, I would be scared when the bad guys were mean, but I would react in the same way I do in daily life. Allow me to provide an “exciting” example from my real life.
Four weeks ago, I was driving home from the local movie theater at 9:30 p.m. when I saw a man running on the sidewalk. I took no interest. Suddenly, he spun around and fired a gun twice. (He may have been shooting at the person chasing him.) The event scared me silly, and I called 911 while driving away, almost hitting a car. Side note: I provided the police with my dash camera video and assisted with their investigation. So far, the case remains open.
But… Is that event worthy of writing into a book? Absolutely not, but that was not how I wrote my book. I created each fictional event not to be exciting. When combined, the total formed a thrilling plot. So, based on my recent shooting experience, I would have been frightened, but that’s it.
I have two upcoming books, which are about four years away from publishing. One is a dystopian science fiction romance, and the other is a dystopian young adult survival/drama. How would I survive in these words?
For the romantic book, I admit that the main male character is hitting too close to home again. As I polish the outline, I will try to distance myself from him. So, how would I survive this bleak, futuristic world?
At its heart, my story is a romance, not an adventure or drama. Thus, I would do fine. Meaning, the most significant battles are with the legal system. Yet, I must ask myself, “Would I make the same mistakes and decisions?”
Like my first two books, my main character has flaws that I do not have, so there would be differences, but I think the result would be the same. At its core, my story is about a man falling in love with a robot. Can I see myself in this situation? I suppose, but it would be tough to overcome my morals. (I admit it. I like women. Robots… Yeah, not so much.) I plan to make this dilemma the heart of my story. Get it? Heart. Yes, that was a pun.
My other story is about teenagers, and at this stage of development, the main female character does not have another main character to interact with. Can I set aside my reality and imagine myself as a female teenager navigating a tough, futuristic situation?
This is a difficult task because my story has many differences from the present day. Let me remind you that, like you, my brain is a product of living in today’s society. Everything I have learned socially and technically would not be present in this character. How could it? You and I are not living in a bleak future. So, let me put my thinking cap on again.
My character has far more inner strength, street smarts, a survival drive, and life experiences that are more challenging than my own. I must conclude that I would not be strong enough to survive in this future. Until this very moment, I had not considered this. Hmm. I guess I could be a minor character. But… all the minor characters are jerks.
This exercise taught me a lot about myself and my writing. I think I will do it again in a year and compare the results. Stay tuned.
You’re the best -Bill
July 09, 2025
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