hemingwaywantabes

When aspiring authors ask me what theme for a first novel might be successful, I always suggest that they try the “What if” scenario. This involves taking what may seem at first glance to be a simple plot but then giving it a twist by adding an unexpected element or two triggering a “What if” situation with a fresh theme and a dramatic ending.

For you hemingwaywantabes, or anyone who is writing a first novel, one only has to look at Hemingway’s Old Man and the Sea as a great example of the “What if.” Basically, the story is about a man and a fish, but the twist works when the author adds the element of “what if the fish is giant sized, almost like a dream fish.” Will the old fisherman, down on his luck, be able to conquer it?

Another good example of the “What if” is John Irving’s The Fourth Hand. The apparent story is simple: A television newscaster loses one hand when a lion bites it off while filming in Africa. Meanwhile, a lady in Minnesota is distraught when her husband, a beer truck driver, is killed in an accident. She sees the story about the newscaster and presto, offers to donate one of her husband’s hands to the newscaster.

The twist is terrific, since Irving wonders “what if the lady will only donate the hand if she has visiting rights.” Wow, this changes everything and the story then takes off by focusing on the relationship between the two people. Irving is at his best with this drama, and the ending is superb.

So, hemingwaywantabes, if you are looking for a hook for your book, try the “What if.” Even non-fiction writers may utilize this tool by writing a clever book that provides a bit of suspense to the “what if” with a biography or even a self-help book. The more dramatic the better these days as readers expect to be entertained no matter the writing genre.