Is Your Writing Bland? Here's 3 ways to add some spice to the pages

You want to make your stories interesting. Interesting stories have interesting characters. So how do you create an interesting character? Make sure they surprise your readers. Have them do the unexpected. In other words, add a little spice to the soup. Here are three ways to add flavor that make your readers' mouths water.

Have your character tell a little white lie.

Miss Goody Two Shoes is most interesting when she takes on a bit of the dark side. Think about it. We like our characters to have some morals, but not too many. They need to be human too. Have the blonde housewife lie about where she grew up, and then watch how that lie expands and takes on a life of its own.

Give the villain a heart

Who can deny that the man who steals from his neighbors isn't Mr. Wonderful? But what if the reader discovers that he's stealing jewelry to pay for his wife's chemotherapy? Now that's dramatic. In fact, it's heart wrenching. That's spice.

Make sure that the sweet grandmother or grandfather ain't so sweet

The facade of the elderly is so convincing. Play with your readers' expectations. I love it when a grandmotherly type roars down the road in a red convertible. (I witnessed this just the other day.) Or perhaps that sweet old man at the grocery store curses like a sailor when pushed the wrong way. And what is it that pushes him? Take pen in hand and explore it.

The idea here is to reverse your readers expectations. Look at your characters motivations. Find places where they may have an interesting flaw. Use any element of their personality that surprises you, makes you laugh. Remember: if you find your characters interesting, so will your readers. Life is interesting, fun, and unpredictable; your characters should be too.