Revision
This month I want to skip
ahead to when your novel is finished. This is when you heave a sigh of relief
and stare at your effort. Now what? Well…it’s
time to revise, shape up, polish and leave no loose threads dangling.
During revision see that
the story goes in a straight line. Does it center around the story problem? Is the story problem established early? Have
you presented the problem on the very first page? If you haven’t, your
story is going to drag, leaving an editor asking, what’s the story about?
Does each and every incident
you’ve written include some clear-cut bearing on the story problem?
Is the development logical
from scene to scene? If it isn’t, it means that the disaster in the preceding
scene hasn’t been devastating enough to preoccupy the character with the need to find a new goal in the next scene. Again, disaster is a harsh word in describing the end of a scene, but it alerts you
to the fact something has to happen in the sequel to lead into another scene.
Does your hero’s climactic
act decide the issue? Remember…if your hero doesn’t act appropriately
to prove they are worthy of the reward at the end…it won’t lead into resolution and this is a cardinal sin in
fiction. Does the resolution tie up all loose ends?
See that the story builds
from beginning to end. See that the reader cares about what happens to your hero. Readers look for some element of personality in the main character that they would
like to possess. It’s your job to provide it.
Your story needs to be written
for clarity. Can the reader understand what you mean? This is especially true of description or at times, who is talking?
Have you ever read a manuscript where you didn’t know who was talking and had to go back until you came to the
start of the original conversation? You don’t have to state the speaker
in every sentence, but let the reader know by actions or other means as to who is talking.
Un-clutter your story. Explanation and interjection bogs a story down.
Say what you have to say, get to the point, draw the picture cleanly and vividly and don’t embellish with unnecessary
words and phrases.
Be consistent. If your hero has black hair in the beginning, and blonde at the end for goodness sake decide which color
and stick to it. Don’t change a hero’s name in mid story or you’ll
drive yourself crazy trying to remember the name at all…and even if you manage to change to the new name, you’d
be surprised how many times the old name jumps off the page. Suddenly the reader
has no idea who this new person is.
One of my favorites is sequence. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard, or read an action that is
like putting the cart before the horse. Motive stimulus always precedes character
reaction. “He turned, hearing the knock at the door.” Actually, the knock comes first. A knock caused him to turn
toward the door.
Your material should read
smoothly. Try to select the right word, the right sound, the right connotation,
the right combination for rhythm and pacing and balance.
Don’t continue to use
the same words or phases.
Cut, edit, revise, smooth
out the wrinkles of the story and then, only then, can you put it on the back burner for a while…before you read the
manuscript one final time. When you are satisfied you’ve given it
your best, then you can go on to the hardest part of your effort. Writing the
query letter and finding publishers.
Until next month, keep writing
and I’ll see you in print.
