Webnovel.Forum

DragonKnov
1. History and Lore.
When we say magical academy, we aren't talking about the typical and original academies of, you know? Earth! Sometimes, academies here are either based on religious factors or political factors. (Sometimes, there are other reasons or history why it was built.)

When we talk about a magical academy, however, history and lore are something that I look for. Why was the academy built? Did a war between wizards and witches necessitate an academy (separately) for training future warriors? Was the school built for special children who couldn't control their powers? Such lore can intrigue a reader and can push them to read further.

2. The System
   Every academy has a system. There are what we call the valedictorians, salutatorians, etc. What does your academy have? Is there a rank system? Does it depend on a particular class? (Ex. Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw)

If the system the authorities of the academy are well-thought, then you can expect your readers to be well-impressed.

3. The Authorities.
   An academy is nothing without thr authorities(leaders.) The characteristics of the principal(Is she the villain? Is she really good? Why does it seem like she's lying to her students?), the teachers (One is brave, the other is timid, the other is a future traitor of the academy)

Characteristics of such authorities interest me.

4. The Anomaly
   If the plot is nothing but the aim of the protagonist to climb the ranks, then you lost my interest. I love academies with a heavy lore that affects the future, which sometimes will lead the protagonists to certain threats. I love magic academies which has mystery-- the anomaly that drives suspense and thrill onward. For example, who blackmailed the pe teacher? Why is the academy being threatened by a writer whose pen name is the "Black Death"? Who is this Black Death?

Or... Let's say the protagonist finds some hidden switch that leads him to an unknown part of the academy. What will she find? What might be there? Will she ever come out?

5. The students.
   If your students are stereotyped, then you've lost my interest. For example, the one who stutters is usually timid, the one with glasses is the bookworm, the leonine dude is the bully, and the " one with different characters from the rest" is the protagonist. This is not always the case. If I were, I'd try to play with personalities a bit.

One thing that annoys me too is the perfect character. Add flaws. Not everyone is perfect.

Midnight_Alpha
Here are some tips I've learned through my experience.

1. Melodrama
   This is something you want to avoid. It is the over-exaggeration of how a character feels or reacts to certain situations. Melodrama makes novels seem unrealistic: thus your readers won't feel connected with what your protagonist is feeling.

2. Show not tell
   We've heard this so many times before, haven't we? It's good to use this IF it's not overdone. Certainly, your characters will be feeling scared, afraid, sad, happy, more than once in your novel. Showing and showing and showing would make you end up having cliches.

Example:
Her heart pounded.
Her heart raced.
Her heart tried to escape her ribcage.

It's the same thing and readers will get bored of seeing it all over again with a few alterations. Only SHOW when the feelings of the character is relevant to the plot, but if not, then it's fine using she's scared, she's sad.

example: if your character is sad just because she lost her ring which is, let's say, has no relation to the plot, then you can just put "She's sad because she lost her ring" or a more fancy term for sad.

If your character is heartbroken because she broke up with a male supporting character or protag 2, and their relationship is important and relevant to the plot, then using show is a great option.

3. Dialogues
   Sometimes, you can use dialogues rather than narratives.
   "D-d-don't leave me, John."
   Sometimes, it's great to use dialogues to express emotions. The stutter could indicate she's sad, shocked, which is further supported by "don't leave me, John".

4. Figure of speech
   " It was the year 1891. Storm clouds brewed over Europe--the result of a series of bombing. Some said it was the nationalists, other the anarchists. But as usual, my friend, Sherlock Holmes, had a different theory entirely."

Storm clouds brewed over Europe doesn't really mean there is a storm happening in Europe, or the continent is experiencing bad weather. It could indicate anger or gloom depending on the supporting details.

5. How would you feel?
   Think of the situation your character is feeling. How would you feel, react, if you are your character in the same situation? I love using this method. Side it with some music depending on the emotion. It'll help you imagine.

This is all I can think of. I hope these tips help!

DogPerson
Hello there! I'd like to help out by sharing my tips and experiences with the perspective.

I've noticed that a lot of people here on this website use the first-person perspective for the readers to delve into the mind of the protagonist, but do it wrongly.

I concur with other people on this website. Mastering this perspective is hard, but perhaps these tips would ease things down a bit.

1. Do you really need to use the perspective?
   First thing to consider is if it is really necessary for your novel to run under 1st POV. "Do some experiments," as one would say it. Try other perspectives first. If it fails to meet your expectation, and you're really sure that the 1st POV suites your novel best, then go with it!

2. Types of 1st Person Perspective
   Let's keep things simple, and discuss the two common types only. Number one, the perspective wherein it is the protagonist who serves as the narrator, and number two, the perspective wherein it is the supporting character who narrates the story.

Mystery genres implement either of these two, especially when talking about detectives.

Usually, like Sir Arthur Coyle, author of Sherlock Holmes, and Mrs. Agatha Christie, author of the Poirot series, mystery writers would use the second type.

Watson and Hastings are usually the narrator(excluding Chief Inspector Japp, and other narrators of the Poirot Series) to avoid ruining the suspense and thriller elements. If Sherlock was the narrator, then the whole book would be boring. Why? He'd solve everything at first glance!

If you don't want to ruin the suspense, element of surprise, thriller, then use this.

The first type is commonly used by a wide range of genres such as fantasy, romance, YA, and etc. If it's not mystery, you can still use type two, but I highly suggest using type one.

3. Show not tell
   Well, we all know what this is, but surprisingly, a lot of authors pour a whole cup of this method into their novel. Know when to tell and when to show. You cannot always show, show, show. Do that and you'll end up having cliches. Why? Well, certainly your characters will be experiencing fear, worry, happiness, more than once so if you're going to show, show, show, you might end up writing:
   Her heart pounded.
   Her heart struggled to escape her ribcage.
   Her heart throbbed.
   It accelerated the already rampant pounding of her heart.
   They're the same thing with slight alterations. Readers will get bored of it, and that's when showing becomes a mistake.

In 1st POV, you don't want your readers to get bored of the character's emotions in response to situations so make sure you show when necessary and tell if not. Keep things balanced. Oh, and avoid filter words.

4. I, We,
   Another mistake of amateur authors:
   I went to the mall. I bought cupcakes there, and then I met Johnny.

Sounds like a to-do list or a done-list. (Or a report) Using I and we is essential but do not overdo it:
I went to the mall and bought some cupcakes, then met with Johnny afterward. Sounds better right? Same goes with me, myself, and my.

If you're choosing 1st POV, then it's best, in my opinion, if it's limited. The reader ONLY sees what the narrator sees, what the narrator feels, what the narrator hears, and is only limited to him or her. Take Watson from Sherlock Holmes as an example.

Well, this is all I can think of for now. If you have any other concerns, feel free to reply! I hope these tips and suggestions help you!