7 FIGURE FICTION: How to Use Universal Fantasy to SELL Your Books to ANYONE (Universal Fantasy®: Butter Up Your Writing)

The book opened my eyes to something I wasn't seeing but was always there. I now have a better understanding of what more goes into creating a story that people can't get enough of. This was a very insightful book. Not a waste of money at all. I don't regret buying the book.

I've read some one-star reviews that have complained about how this book isn't anything new, rehashes the idea of tropes, is meant for romance writers, etc. Let me explain why it has blown my hair back and I'm giving it five stars. I'm neurodivergent, which means that I don't think like a lot of other people do. And what *I* think will sell a story is, all too often, 180 degrees from what will actually sell the story to a much, much wider audience of readers. What this book does so well is 1) explain the concept of Universal Fantasy (which, yeah, is tropey but I'm good with that), then 2) GIVES YOU EXAMPLES in popular stories/shows such as Beauty and the Beast, Scandal, Grey's Anatomy, etc., 3) tells you how to utilize the UF quotient more effectively in YOUR book and, probably most important of all, 4) explains how to use UF in your marketing material. Yeah, to some people all this might have been obvious. I congratulate them on their plotting and marketing acumen. To me and my strange and unusual brain, it's a freaking game-changer. I write damn good books, but I have had so many readers tell me, "I loved your book, I don't know why it isn't more popular." I think this book is going to fix that problem.

I bought this book because Mandilynn recommended it on her youtube channel and it sounded interesting. It was interesting and well-written and it made me think; all good stuff. Unfortunately, almost all of the examples were "UF" used in romance and I don't write romance. That being said, I believe I'll be able to use this information in the future. It will just take me a little longer to consider its use in different contexts. I would certainly recommend this book if you write romance. You might also enjoy reading if different ideas and thought processes spark your creativity.

This is your opportunity to receive "the talk" from Theodora Taylor about how to write and market irresistible fiction that you will love writing and your readers will gobble right up! Many professional authors have paid hundreds and/or traveled miles to hear her speak, but you can curl up at home with this wonderful book and read it as many times as you want! I've read SO many books on craft and marketing that give you work to do that feels like WORK, or that isn't intuitive. This one is more of an invitation to joyfully open your eyes. After reading it you will want, no, NEED, to implement Universal Fantasy into your writing every day. (And if you were wondering, "Universal Fantasy" does not refer to the genre of the book - you can find "Universal Fantasy" in all genres!) Also, Theodora kindly uses examples from modern television/books and fairy tales to illustrate her points (so don't worry - you don't have to go stream Raging Bull or something to understand her references!)

I strongly recommend this book to any commercial fiction writer, regardless of genre. Ms. Taylor writes romance so, naturally, most of her examples focus on love stories, but she explains her core concep of "Universal Fantasy" in a way that makes it easily applicable to any type of story. (For example, I am working on an epic fantasy novel that has no romance, yet I have already figured out some ways to cover my story and characters in more BUTTER!)

Ms. Taylor is a very successful romance novelist (She actually is on track to be a 7 figure author this year). If you are writing romance, you probably should read this - unless you already make seven figures. Tons of advice on things to add to your book to add emotional intensity to your work, which is what romance readers crave. The one nitpick I have is calling it "universal fantasy". It's not universal, a lot of the tropes (yes, tropes) she gives as examples would be totally out of place in a non-romance context. Not all of them, of course, but many of them are genre specific and gender specific. They are women's fantasies, not men's (getting chosen by a prince, for example. Guys want to *be* the prince). Dropping some of these into SciFi, for example, would be like stopping a romance novel for a three page discussion of how deflector shields work! ☺ Whether or not you write romance, you can still read this for examples of ways to include romance or emotional undercurrents to your work. Recommended.

I love the book, but now when i watch a movie or read a book, my mind stops and says thats a universal fantasy! Once you know a UF it you can't unsee it. I learned a lot. Great book.

I really love any writing guide with advice that is widely applicable and this one really delivers. While it's aimed at romance writers it does a great job of identifying broad categories of reader appeal (the Universal Fantasy elements) and being able to see them explained so clearly makes them easy to identify in other genres and types of media. I like that the author does not pretend this is the only method of writing--but I am definitely going to use this when I start revisions on my own book very soon! The tone of the book is friendly and upbeat. I think the observations in this book are spot-on assessments of what is so appealing about certain kinds of pop media.

Ich habe das Buch nur durch Zufall entdeckt, fand den Titel interessant und die Inhaltsangabe spannend, also bestellt. Ich muss sagen: Das Buch enttäuscht nicht! Ja, es hat keine großen Geheimnisse, aber die Art, wie es Bücher/Filme/Musik analysiert und in Universal Fantasies einteilt, gefiel mir. Die Autorin hat eine tolle, leichte Art, ihre Sicht rüberzubringen. Jetzt steh ich vor meinem Buchregal und versuche UFs in meinen Favoriten zu benennen. Sehr empfehlenswert!

Theodora mi ha aperto gli occhi sulle UF che ci circondano e risiedono dentro di noi. Ora, ogni volta che leggo un libro, vedo un film o una serie tv, ascolto una canzone o guardo una pubblicità, ragiono sui motivi che mi portano a emozionarmi, intristirmi, arrabbiarmi ecc. Insomma a farmi partecipare attivamente a quello che vedo o ascolto. Le UF!

I really gained a lot from reading this book about what makes a good story come alive. Highly recommended.

Its hard to sum up this book, YES it is that good. This Non-Fiction has enough butter to get your creativity booming and you realize while reading...how many of the stories you have written, or read, or shows you have watched- And Loved; Are Universal Fantasies! It's like knowing where the pot-of-gold is...but the rainbow appears showing you "Why" & "How" to get there and discover more treasure. (Sorry if this seems confusing..I just discovered the "why"..& my head is spinning from all the UF's I've always written😁). This worth every penny. I highly recommend this book - it will give you that insight and clarity....& its delightful! I was being educated and it was a fun! I learnt so much(& I devoured this in 2 days). One of the best books on writing you can buy! 100 stars!!

The worst imaginable tripe. DO NOT spend time and money on this!