I got a little distracted last week, but let’s return to the Elements of Fiction Editing Checklist. We were talking about point of view, or viewpoint. One aspect of viewpoint is psychic distance.
Tag: Writing
Inspirational must-read book for new writers
Writing in Obedience: A Primer for Christian Fiction Writers by Terry Burns and Linda Yezak My Rating: ★★★★★ This is a truly wonderful book that will help Christian writers, especially novelists, clarify their place in the market. It helps us sort out whether our writing is a calling or an …
Beware analysis paralysis when editing
When you look at it all at once, the Elements of Fiction Editing Checklist can be daunting. And as writers, we tend to waver between thinking we’re literary geniuses and thinking we’re hack poseurs no one will ever take seriously. The danger in self-editing is that you fall too severely on …
Your character needs backstory, but don’t dump it
I want to take some extra time to go into one point on the Elements of Fiction Editing Checklist in detail: ☐ Personal histories are brought into the story organically Backstory is usually a bad word among writers. But the truth is, it’s necessary—to you. Knowing your character’s history is good. …
Character development: continuity and story arcs
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 …
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, …
How to tell a good story
I’m taking a blogging break this week, but here’s a little something: Ira Glass of the radio show This American Life discusses the elements of storytelling in this series of videos from Public Radio International. Glass is speaking of nonfiction, particularly short nonfiction for broadcast. But the principles apply in …
How to write a book if you’re not a writer
Many people feel they ought to write a book, or they’re told by other people they ought to write a book, but when they sit down to write…nothing. Writing is often called a craft, and it is something most people learn to do competently. I find that businesspeople, especially, are …
How to write a synopsis of your novel
The synopsis is an important part of your book proposal. The first thing to understand is the difference between the query letter and the synopsis. The query or pitch letter gives just a teaser of the story. The setup, the primary conflict, and a little about yourself. It’s purpose is …
What to include in a book proposal
For the last several weeks, we’ve focused on getting ready for a conference. So you go to a conference, pitch your book, and the editor says, “That sounds like it has potential. Send me a proposal with your first 50 pages.” And your stomach caves in, because you don’t have …