Some Lessons for Writers. Review on The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown

This book has been reviewed so many times that I won't state the same old things all over again. What I wish to focus on are the key lessons that the book contains for writers seeking guidelines on how to write a bestseller.

Lesson One

Use a limited number of characters so that you can flesh them out in detail and get the reader involved with each character. Think back on what you read in The Da Vinci Code. The characters almost seem real, don't they? Well, this kind of characterisation can only be done when one is dealing with a limited, manageable set of characters.

Lesson Two

Keep the chapters short. That's the secret behind writing a successful page-turner. Longwinded chapters slow the pace down. Moving quickly from one chapter to another gives the reader the feeling of racing through the book - that's something that adds to the excitement.

Lesson Three

End each chapter with an irresistible lead-on, one that compels the reader to keep going. There isn't any 'natural pause' in The Da Vinci Code where the reader can put the book down and say, ''I'll continue with this tomorrow.''

Lesson Four

Research your subject properly. Do your homework well. The blend of fact and fiction is what makes The Da Vinci Code so intriguing. If all of it were fiction, the reader would feel, ''Nyah, this couldn't actually happen.'' However, there's so much of factual and historic content blended in that the reader loses the fine demarcating line between fact and fiction. And this is possible only because Dan Brown did his homework thoroughly.

Lesson Five

Present the familiar in an unfamiliar manner. For example, everyone thought they knew everything about the Mona Lisa... till this book came along. That's the effect you need to achieve.