Roald Dahl said, Good writing is essentially rewriting. Careful editing and revision allows the writer to pare away nonessentials, introduce necessary development and tighten up the framework of the manuscript creating a clear, cohesive story.
Overview of Novel
Read the work aloud listening to the rhythm of sentences, hearing clumsy word choices, run-on or over-long sentences and things that sound "off". While reading the manuscript watch for:
- sections that don't move plot forward or develop characters
- long, wordy paragraphs of prose
- inconsistencies like name changes or eye and hair color changes
- repetitive words, phrases or ideas
- detail inaccuracies
- subplots or scenes that aren't consistent with the rest of the story
- too much telling
- typos and grammatical errors
Naming Characters
Novels are about people, making it important for readers to distinguish between characters. When naming characters avoid similar sounding names, vary the vowel sounds and number of syllables in character names. Jim, Ronald and Catherine sound differently, have a different rhythm and do not share vowels, making each character's name unique.
Assign character names appropriate to social standing, ethnicity and personality. Be sure character names are not so unique that readers focus on the names and not the individuals. Confirm the selected names existed during the time of the story.
Sympathetic Characters
Readers want to care what happens to the characters in a novel. In order to care they must feel they know them. A sympathetic character is one whose actions are motivated by internal feelings readers can identify with. Let readers see characters thinking and wrestling with decisions, making bad decisions, being conflicted.
Readers prefer a strong central character. Make sure the main character is clear. An important trait for a main character is one of determination to see a problem through to resolution despite being reluctant or even fearful.
Novel Clarity
Revision is a tool for conveying story information more clearly. Writers must detach themselves from their work and read it objectively, critically, putting themselves in the place of the audience.
Will readers understand the goals of the characters? Will they know what characters want and what they will do to get it?
Is what motivates characters into action easily understood? Do readers know the reason characters want what they want?
Does conflict escalate in a believable manner, built carefully from scene to scene in a logical way? Conflict should make it hard for a character to reach their goal, testing their resolve to reach it.
Is there a satisfactory resolution? Although a story may end badly, main characters must attain their goals or fall short of their goals in a convincing way, loose ends must be tied up, and both the main plot and subplots worked out.
Enhance the Reading Experience
Show don't tell. Use concrete words not generalizations. 'Telling' expects readers to form pictures from their own experiences while 'showing' keeps the writer in control of the imagery. In the 'telling' sentence, "Mary was enraged", readers must draw on personal observations and sensations of intense anger to envision the scene. "Her cheeks flushed bright red, Mary lunged forward and gripped his shirt with shaking hands", shows readers what Mary's rage looks like. The writer has retained command of the imagery.
Related Article: Write a Book: Getting Started on a Novel - tips for the aspiring novelist
Resources:
The Maker's Eye: Revising Your Own Manuscripts, Donald M. Murray, St. Martin's, 2000
Writing the Breakout Novel, Donald Maass, Writers Digest Books, 2002
Linnea Heinrichs - After years of extensive research into the medieval period, Linnea's debut novel, The First Vial, was published in 2005 by Thistledown ...
