I went to a Barnes and Noble on Colonial Drive last Saturday for a book signing featuring Janet Evanovich, author of the latest Stephanie Plum novel, Explosive Eighteen. I’ve read all 18 books in this mystery series, and wanted to meet the lady herself.
For those who don’t know, Stephanie Plum is a former lingerie saleswoman who became a bounty hunter in Trenton, New Jersey, out of desperation. Her cousin Vinnie ran the bail bonds service, and she didn’t have prospects for other jobs. Stephanie’s fictional adventures have become so popular Ms. Evanovich has written 18 best sellers in the main series, some other novels that feature characters out of the chronological order of the series, and everything from graphic novels to how-to-write books. The movie version of the first novel will be released January 2012, starring Katherine Heigel.
I knew Ms. Evanovich was popular, but I thought if I got to the store at 11:00 AM for a 1:00 book signing I would be safe. I was wrong. So many people had already gotten received a wristband for the signing that I was too late. Wouldn’t you like to sell out your book signing?
Janet Evanovich’s success creating compelling characters and great stories transcends her medium – printed books – and reaches across all content platforms. That’s why when you are creating your content think always about character and story first and method of communication second, or even third and forth. People remember great stories and respond to compelling characters. That’s true whether they’re completely fictional like Stephanie Plum, produced reality characters like Snookie, or real people with compelling narratives. As you’re creating your content, always be thinking “what’s the story? How can I make it more interesting? Why should I care about this character?” Who knows? Someday you may create a character as enduring as Stephanie Plum.
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