Why is it that some characters stick in our minds? What is it about them that causes us identify with them and admire them? I’ll be looking at these questions and others in this new series. [bctt tweet=”Some say it’s all about plot. Others say it’s about character.” username=”@a3forme @donnalhsmith”] #amwriting #characters
Writers write because we love to use words, but let’s face it––even though we say we write for ourselves, we all want to be published and have many others read what we’ve written, for the mutual benefit of ourselves and our readers. That’s why self-editing is important. [bctt tweet=”We must do everything we can to get our manuscripts ready for publication.” username=”@a3forme @donnalhsmith”] #amwriting #publishready
Getting published traditionally is difficult. Small publishers are more likely to accept a manuscript from a previously unpublished author, yet they are the ones who require “publish-ready” submissions. [bctt tweet=”Self-editing is a challenge to improve our own writing. ” username=”@a3forme @donnalhsmith”]#amwriting #selfediting
Let’s get our manuscript “publish-ready.” Refer to last month’s post for my definition. This time, we’ll look at basic proofreading. [bctt tweet=”Spell check in Microsoft Word or whatever word processing program you use—is simply not good enough.” username=”@donnalhsmith @a3forme”]. #amwriting #publishready #selfediting
Catching Typos
Use spell-check, but don’t rely on it: heals vs. heels, etc.
Read it out loud: our eyes skip over things too quickly. When we read it aloud, we slow down, reading every word.
Print it out: Even though a computer simulates the printed page quite well, there’s just something about actually seeing it on real paper.
Proofread backward: I’ve never tried this, but it sounds interesting.
Catching Inconsistencies
Chapter Titles and Numbers: Especially when adding or deleting chapter, make sure they’re in proper order. Use your search or find function on your word processor.
Paragraph Indents: Generally, most manuscripts ask for a half-inch indent. When you end a scene with either a # (hashtag) or * (asterisk), make sure you’ve taken out the indent for that paragraph alone.
Hyphens, dashes, and ellipses: I always consult a grammar website or the text listed here. Here are a few pointers to help you discern. An ellipses (…) is used for fragmented speech, i.e. confusion, insecurity, or uncertainty. An em dash (—) is for a break in thought or interruption. An en dash (–) is used for consecutive numbers such as 1–10.
Apostrophes and quotation marks: usually font-controlled. Any fonts associated with old typewriter styles usually has the straight marks, such as “ when most publishers would like them curved, like “. One note: if you’re using an em dash at the end of dialogue, put the end quotes in first or it will look like this: “Hello. Are you––“ Quotation marks are backwards. “Hello. Are you––”
[bctt tweet=”If we learn to catch these simple things ourselves, the overall appearance of our manuscript will improve, and give us a better chance. ” username=”@donnalhsmith @a3forme”]#amwriting #selfediting
How about you? What proofreading secret has helped you the most? Leave a comment and let me know.
Continuing our look at crafting a spectacular plot twist, this time we’ll look in detail at a couple of the “tips” mentioned last time. #amwriting #plottwists [bctt tweet=”What questions will you ask yourself to maximize reader satisfaction?” username=”@donnalhsmith @a3forme”] What questions will you ask yourself to maximize reader satisfaction?
[bctt tweet=”Four elements to plot twists: 1) unexpected, 2) inevitable, 3) an escalation of what preceded it, and 4) a revelation that adds meaning. (from @StevenJames”] to what has already occurred. #amwriting #unforgettablefiction
Inevitable: There is only one possible conclusion to the story. It’s believable to readers, and when they get to it, they see that everything in the story up until then has been pointing toward that ending, rather than the one they were predicting and anticipating.
Surprising: It’s a conclusion that readers don’t see coming but that ends up not only being reasonable but more logical than any other possible ending. It’s an ending free of gimmicks, one that both shocks and delights even the most discerning reader.
A twist doesn’t just move the story forward; it unravels it and then rethreads it at the same time, giving more meaning to it. Readers find out that the story is deeper, richer, and more multilayered than they ever imagined.
ExpectationsTurn expectations on their head. At first you’ll play to those expectations, so readers will think they know where things are going. Then, suddenly, you’ll turn those expectations against them to create the twist.
I have a plot twist in “Meghan’s Choice” regarding Meghan and Doctor Scott Allison. I can’t reveal it, and I can’t take credit for it. My mentor DiAnn Mills, gave me the idea, and it’s resolution. Let’s just say there is blackmail involved.
[bctt tweet=”Five types of plot twists: 1) Identity, 2) Awareness, 3) Complexity, 4) Peril, and 5) Cleverness from @StevenJames”]
“Your protagonist (or your reader, or both) realizes he’s not who he thought he was…” Maybe she’s insane, maybe she’s in someone else’s dream, maybe he’s a monster. “This discovery could come at the beginning of the story, setting it up for a redemptive ending or at the climax, creating a dramatic plunge at the end…”
“The world isn’t what your protagonist thought it was. He’s not on Earth, he’s on another planet, or he thinks he’s arrived in heaven in the afterlife, but discovers he’s really in hell.”
“The heist, confidence game, or sting operation has a whole level of intrigue that wasn’t evident throughout the story.” Maybe the hero knows something about the bad guys we don’t. “Curiosity about how things will move forward drives readers to keep reading.”
“The real danger isn’t where you though it was.” The hunter is the hunted, the spy’s partner is a double agent, the protagonist’s daughter is a terrorist. These are ideas to get your creative juices going.
Now this is a funny way of saying it, but “the detective (or villain) was really one step ahead of the villain (or detective) the whole time and has set a trap that the other guy, and readers, didn’t see coming.” (Remember, the detective must solve the crime before readers do, or they’ll think they’re smarter than he is.)
What are some of your favorite plot twists you’ve either seen in a movie or read in a book? #amwriting #plottwists Leave a comment and let me know.
Most fiction starts out hot, then bogs down. How can you keep the fire in your fiction so that readers will continually turn the pages of our novel? Scenes and dialogue can be our greatest friends or our worst enemies. In this next series of posts, we’ll ramp it up by putting the fire in your fiction.