Ringdom Writing Tips | How to Better Attract Your Target Readers? (I)

December 23, 2021

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Hey guys, welcome back to Ringdom Writing Tips! Today let’s look at one issue that most authors would meet when creating stories, adding tags!

When creating a story, you can choose whether it is male-oriented or female-oriented. Then the dashboard will offer corresponding tag selections.

There are six tag categories, from which you can choose up to ten identifiers for your stories.

The six categories are:

World Setting,

Plot Setting,

Identity of Protagonist,

Character of Protagonist,

Tone,

Relationship.

Some authors may find it confusing to choose suitable tags for their stories. In the end, they may just pick random ones. However, without proper tags to highlight story features, it’s hard for targeting readers to notice the story, not to mention stay to explore more.

There are hundreds of books created every day. What makes yours special?

Interpret your story as much as possible through tags. Then readers who are into such themes or plots will be more interested in your works.

What tag categories should you focus on first among the six?

World Setting and Plot Setting.

World Setting tags tell readers where a story takes place and whether it is comfortable to the readers’ taste;

Then Plot Setting tags show the top attraction in the plot development of a work.

Here is the definition of some fresh tags in our categories.

World Setting

Multiverse: There are many universes outside of the one you live in. The same people living different lives in different worlds, such as Tobey Maguire’s version of Spider-Man vs Tom Holland’s version.

Supernatural Earth: One of the typical examples under such a world setting is the TV series, Supernatural. Other supernatural elements or plots, such as the worldview in Marvel and DC movies, can be also represented by this tag.

Another world: This would refer to another world that applies rules differently from Earth, for example, the worlds in Dune and Avatar. You could use this tag when the protagonist travels to another world or when the world where your story takes place is different from Earth, but other worldview tags cannot correctly describe your setting.

In addition, work tagged with Realistic Earth is real-life adventure novels, the themes of which include but are not limited to matrilocal son-in-law, mercenaries, killers, and commercial war. Authors often tag their works with the city when writing stories of these themes.

However, readers normally have an expression that novels with tag city tell stories confined within narrow limits, such as office love. This tag may not fully show the richness of an adventure. Therefore, please pay attention to the difference between the coverage of Realistic Earth and City.

Plot Setting

World Setting

Reincarnation/Transmigration, Rebirth/Reborn, Time-Travel: These three tags are similar. The protagonists all travel in time or space, and most of them have a second life.

However, the protagonists reborn after death in stories are normally tagged with reincarnation/transmigration and rebirth/reborn. For example, reborn as a child, or reborn into another person, or reborn in another world. The protagonists in stories tagged with time travel mostly travel to the past or the future by chance, not necessarily experiencing death.

Note: A significant attraction for novels about rebirth is how the protagonist, knowing the future, will go back to make up for past regrets and change his/her and others’ fates.

System: Novels tagged with system refer to game systems, or a mysterious system obtained by the protagonist, which can help him/her become stronger.

For instance, in a story tagged with a system, the protagonist gains exp or some unique abilities or items by completing tasks issued by the system, like when we play a game online. They can use the exp or abilities to enhance strength and solve problems in real life.

The system, is exclusive to the protagonist, which enables him/her to gain unique advantages in career or fights.

If you have no concept of a system, you can imagine an advanced AI, such as Iron Man’s JARVIS, but the system in your story can be more bizarre. It seems like the game system has entered reality and can give you powerful ability in the real world.

One thing to notice, a clear level-up path in career or strength always comes with the concept of system, since each progress the protagonist achieves is quantifiable.

That’s what we all have today! More plot development tags will be explained in the next part. And an exploration of other tag categories is also on the way!

I hope the interpretation above can make it easier for you to choose tags. This article will also be posted on Ringdom Writing Guide.

Add this book to your library so you will not miss any updates!

One more question, what tags do you think are suitable to describe your story (no matter if they are listed or not)?

Leave your answers in Ringdom Writing Guide. We are looking forward to your opinions!

(by Rebecca & Chris)