TEN QUICK TIPS gives you a mindset, turns Jekyll, the writer, the artist, into Hyde, the editor, the slasher.

1.  DETACH FROM THE WRITING:  You go to bed certain you produced the best writing of your life.  Shakespeare is turning green in his grave.  In the morning you wonder:  Who wrote this drivel?

·  Take a week off.  Distance cools infatuation with your words and refines judgment.

·  Then edit ruthlessly.

 

2.  HOOK THE READER:  Start with the action.

·  Begin the story “in the middle of things.”

·  Grab the reader/editor's attention with the first sentence.

 

3.  READ ALOUD:  Sound sense enhances dramatic sense.  Say: “handsome, dark and tall,” then “tall, dark and handsome.” Hear the difference?

·  Read aloud for rhythm, pacing, voice and diction.

·  Hear the dialogue.  Must sound right to read right.

 

4.  NOTHING IS SACRED:  “Vary sentence structure” is good rule, but look at the opening paragraph of Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities:

 

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair...

 

·  Cut any character, sentence, paragraph or chapter that doesn't advance the story.  Only story is sacred.

·  Break a rule if you have a good reason, i.e., advances  story, deepens character, enhances style, etc.

 

5.  SHOW, DON'T TELL:  TV and movies have changed fiction writing:  pace and action are quicker, author presence minimized, emphasis is on direct dialogue, and single point-of-view (POV) in scene/chapter is preferred.

·  Verbs and nouns over adjectives and adverbs.

·  Action over exposition.

 

6.  SIMPLIFY:  Simple ain't easy.  A rule my son mastered at nine in a letter from camp:  Dear Mom, Send money.  Love, Chris.

·  Small words over big ones.

·  Lean, clean sentences.

·  Say it once, say it well.

 

7.   SLASH AND BURN PURPLE PROSE:  In On The Art of Writing (1916) Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch advises writers to murder your darlings.  Still good advice.

·  Burn “poetic darlings.”

·  Slash modifiers, over-writing and inflated language.

 

8. FOCUS ON STORY STRUCTURE: Make ‘em cry, make ‘em laugh, make ‘em worry.  Story is all.

·  Hook beginning, page-turning middle, big-finish ending.

·  Strongest character to drive story, right tone to color it, dramatic conflict to show meaningful change in the protagonist at the end.

 

9.   GRAMMAR AND NEATNESS COUNT:  Time is money.  Editors want professional work.

·  Double check spelling, grammar and punctuation.

·  Indispensable:  dictionary, thesaurus, style book, good computer equipment and software programs.

 

10.  FINAL EXAM:  SIX SAVVY C's:  Have I said what I wanted to say and have I said it well?

·  If your story is clear, concise, cohesive, consistent, concrete and captivating, send it off.  If not, go back to number one.

 

Structure Chart (page 28) focuses on basic story structure:

·  The beginning (Act I) establishes the hero's goal, what she wants.

·  The middle (Act II) builds obstacles, conflicts and complications.

·  The end (Act III) resolves whether the hero gets or doesn't get what she wants, and if not, why not.

 

   Examine your Story Concept, Premise and Tone Keys.  Are you satisfied?  In How to Write a Damn Good Novel, James N. Frey says premise holds you to your story concept.  Tone Keys help you to color it.

   Next, look at your Story Question. The best story ques-tions are immediate and visceral.  They focus on the hero's goal.  Take a romance novel's simple story question:  Does Suzy get Johnny and live happily ever after?  Here the story answer better be yes if you want to sell the novel. 

   More complex is Hamlet's story question:  How will he act on the information given him by his father's ghost?  The story question addresses an underlying theme. Not all stories do.  Depends on genre.  Hamlet's theme, betrayal, deals with the moral complexity of his struggle with duty, love and morality. His character flaw, indecision, causes his death. Take a lesson from Hamlet. Avoid indecision.  Know your story question.  And story answer.  They define story.

 

   The Savvy Self-Editing “at-a-glance” charts help writers visualize the basic dramatic form and see how it applies to their work.

STRUCTURE CHART (working example: “Madame Bovary”)
STORY CONCEPT:  This is a story about Emma Bovary (hero) who pursues happiness through her adulterous affairs (goal) with Rodolphe and Leon. PREMISE:  Illicit love leads to death.  Or: Romance kills. TONE KEYS:  1. Bored    2. Romantic.  STORY QUESTION:  Will Emma find the happiness and passion she desires in her adulterous affairs? STORY ANSWER: No. She will bring shame and despair to herself and her family. (Premise proved.)
Story Question > inciting	> PLOT POINTS > incident               climax	> Story Answer resolution
ACT I   Hook Opening	ACT II Page-Turning Middle	ACT III Big-Finish Ending
ESTABLISH: ·  hero ·  setting/time ·  situation ·  goal/motivation ·  conflicts ·  story question	BUILD: ·  obstacles ·  conflicts ·  curiosity ·  suspense/menace ·  character growth (+ or -) ·  pacing	RESOLVE: ·  conflicts ·  story question ·  how protagonist has changed

 

1.  STEP OUTLINE:   Number scenes. Do a sentence or two on the action of the viewpoint character in each scene and the reactions to the other characters. With the story on a few pages, it is easier to see structural weaknesses such as dull characters, static conflict, illogical cause/effect, poor setups/ payoffs, too fast/slow pacing and/or story momentum problems. Move or cut static scenes/characters to tighten story and to add suspense.

2.  PARALLEL NARRATIVE STRUCTURE:  Two stories go on simultaneously.  The reader follows the two main characters on their separate courses in alternating chapters for two-thirds of the book.  Each narrative heightens and illuminates the other as they move toward the inevitable collision at the end.  A solution for you?  Try it.  

3.  FULL CIRCLE STRUCTURE:  Start out dramatizing the problem in Act I, complicate the obstacles and setbacks in Act II, then in Act III end where you began but with the problem solved. The resonance gives readers a sense of closure. A surprise ending or ironic twist adds extra punch.

4. STRAIGHT CHRONOLOGICAL STRUCTURE:  Put the reader on a time train. Start the engine.  Increase obstacles and conflicts as the story progresses to the page-turning end.

5.  START WITH THE ENDING:  Analyze your story from back to front. See where it breaks down. Knowing the ending is key to a tight structure and rounded characters. Makes writing the beginning and middle easier.  Margaret Mitchell wrote the last chapter to Gone With The Wind first.  I hear it was a bestseller.

6.  READ:  Study your favorite writers. Analyze how they spin a good tale.  Structure your story from what you learn.