Pipeline to Originality

A writing tip from Jude Hardin

Hasn’t every story imaginable already been explored and exploited a gazillion times?

Pretty much. As the old saying goes, there is nothing new under the sun. So how are we supposed to come up with something unique, something so fresh that readers will want our books as soon as they’re released?

Think PVC. That’s right, like the pipe.

Plot
I like suspenseful mysteries and thrillers, because it’s 100% guaranteed that something is going to happen. Before you ever crack the spine of, say, a Robert Ludlum novel, you know that you’re in for a roller coaster ride. And even though you know that the main character will somehow prevail, you want to see how. You want to ride along and feel every pothole.

Voice
You might have to write a million words to find it. Then, one day, something will click and the words will start flowing and you’ll know. You’re writing like nobody else in the world can write. That’s your voice, and it’s essential.

Character
Characters aren’t invented. They’re born. We have to nourish them and give them the love and attention they deserve. Then something happens. They take on a personality of their own and sometimes lead the story to avenues unexpected. Give your characters at least three dimensions, and eventually they’ll start giving back.

So there you have it. Plot, voice, character. PVC. Like the pipe.

Simple, right?

Now go write that book.

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Jude Hardin is the author of the Nicholas Colt thriller series. He graduated from the University of Louisville in 1983 with an English degree, and currently lives and works in northeast Florida. When he’s not pounding away at the computer keyboard, Jude can be found pounding away on his drums, playing tennis, reading, or down at the pond fishing with his son.



A civilian contractor for the Department of Defense has created an implantable brain-computer interface that will make the fiercest warriors on the planet exponentially smarter, faster, and deadlier. Codename: iSEAL. After years of painstaking research, the device is finally ready for human trials.

Desperate to be reinstated as a Special Forces candidate, Nathan Brennan reluctantly volunteers for the study. Four weeks as a lab rat and his military career will be back on course. Unfortunately, by the end of day one, he finds himself on the run from the police, the CIA, and a mysterious criminal mastermind named Oberwand. With no memory of his past, and with little hope for a meaningful future, Brennan must utilize every weapon in his binary arsenal just to stay alive.

Click on the cover to visit the book’s Amazon page.