We’ve been looking at the points in the Character element of the checklist. Here are a couple more: ☐ Continuity is maintained in characters’ appearance, habits, and vocabulary. This is where your style sheet will come in handy. Some call it a character bible, but copyeditors usually call it a …
Tag: Elements of Fiction
Finer points of character development
Last time we looked at the importance of great characters in fiction. Now, let’s break down the points in the Character segment of the Elements of Fiction Editing Checklist. ☐ Principal characters are well-rounded and realistic. The goal here is to avoid one-note characters. Remember that people have multiple interests. …
Why Character is the most important fiction element
The editing checklist I presented last time is written in order of importance according to me. Other editors will disagree about what is the most important aspect of a novel. I put Character at the top of the list because the characters, especially the viewpoint characters, are how the reader …
Before editing, develop a plan
Many writers get to the end of a rough draft and then start revising without a clear plan. We’re taught how to write, but often we’re not taught how to edit. Professional editors know that editing requires a clear plan. Working without one can lead to months, if not years, …
Read your rough draft before you edit
Now that you’ve taken some time off from your manuscript, you can approach it as a reader would. Read through your novel as quickly as possible to get a feel for the story. Do this in whatever way is comfortable for you. At your local office supply and copy center, …
The difference between your voice and the character’s voice
Voice, like art, is one of those things that, being hard to define, often falls into the category of “I’ll know it when I see it.” It’s a quality that writers strive for and editors look for, precisely because it’s so hard to accomplish. There are two kinds of voice; …
Fiction Q&A: The importance of a likeable protagonist
Q: How important is it that the main character be likable at the beginning of the book? A: It is very difficult to engage readers if your protagonist is unlikable. Difficult, but not impossible, as Scarlett O’Hara demonstrates.
Sorting out characters and narrators
Last time, I said there are two kinds of POV: Narrator POV and Character POV, and I mentioned that each has some subsets. Here they are. Narrator POV The omniscient narrator knows everything and can share everyone’s thoughts, but doesn’t have to. He can, and often does, make value judgments …
Eliminating the narrator
As we saw last week, the goal of deep point of view is to eliminate the narrator. Which means there are two primary choices for POV, each of which has some subsets: You can have a narrator, or not. In a novel with no narrator, the POV character takes on …
The difference between third person POV and Deep POV
Q: I keep hearing about Deep POV. What is it, and how is it different from what the writing books call third person POV? A: Point of view is one of the most complicated elements of fiction, and POV slips are among the most common errors we see in amateur …