Tag Archives: writing

When to Introduce Backstory

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Backstory is a collection of details readers need to know about a character or a plotline in order to make sense of what’s happening. But backstory is also embedded behind the current timeline…it is part of a character’s history before the book opens or is a collection of events that occured that get the plot rolling. If you start by filling in readers with all this information, the opening section (roughly the first 80 to 100 pages) won’t capture interest.

When you’re writing the first draft, it’s fine to write all the backstory first. This is the way most people write because it puts things into a chronological order. It can make the writing process much easier. So don’t shy away from writing things in the order they happen.

The rewriting process for the second (and possibly other drafts) corrects this issue. Take all that backstory and pull it into a different file. Then find places in the plotline where chunks of this information can be dropped in. By interweaving the backstory with the current timeline, your novel will become more compelling. You’ll also find that the backstory takes on  a deeper meaning when it is placed right beside the point at which readers need to know some historic fact.

How to Start Your Novel

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The first five pages are the most important. Your first five pages should show readers the main character…and hopefully focus only on that individual, or focus on that individual and his or her relationship with one other primary character.

Your first five pages should hint at the conflict that will play out over the course of the manuscript.

There should be some compelling reason for readers to continue…and for agents and acquisitions editors at publishing houses to keep reading, too. This could be interest in the protagonist, a compelling conflict, or suspense.

Every category is different and your work will be unique from all others. By ensuring your first five pages have at least these three elements, you’re much more likely to capture attention…and keep people reading.

Latest Buzzword: New Adult

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We’re hearing a lot lately about New Adult novels as a category that is getting hot.

New Adult works target late teen and early twenties readers. They therefore have characters in that age group. Often these are coming-of-age stories about people who are no longer kids but who aren’t quite adults.

The settings are often in college or right after college. These works used to be published under the young adult (YA) category but are becoming a niche of their own.

Currently bookstores are struggling to find a way to shelve and market these novels but New Adult titles are coming on strong. Readers want them. Do you have something that really is New Adult rather than adult or YA? Be sure to note that in your query and your book proposal to capture attention from agents and publishers.

How Long Should My Book Manuscript Be?

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Word count: what an issue. You’ve spent months or years working on a book and now all the agent wants to know is, “How many words?”

There are important reasons why you should pay attention to word count.

First, each category and genre has an average length. This goes far beyond novels vs. novellas. It’s about how long is too long for a romance novel, how short is too short for a spy thriller, what’s the average for a young adult novel, how much leeway does a work of literary fiction have? The answers are specific to each category. Writer’s Resource can help you determine if your book is appropriately long.

Second, first-time authors (authors who have not been traditionally published) are held to different standards than other authors. Generally, a first-time author should never go above 100,000 words. Certain genres like some subcategories of thrillers, historic novels, and certain types of other fiction and nonfiction books can run 110,000 to 115,000…but anything above that is pushing the boundary too far.

Why? Because print costs rise exponentially above 100,000 words. Publishers will sink money into marketing you and your books with the hopes that it will build an audience. Your second or your third book will be much less restricted by length if your first one is successful. But until you have that proven fan base, publishers want to cut their risks.

Cut your risk of rejection by knowing what’s expected of your manuscript…first-time author or not!

When is a Book Manuscript Ready to Send to Agents or Publishers?

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Chuck Sambuchino, who writes for Writer’s Digest, offers three primary reasons why manuscripts are rejected by agents:

First…the story they’re reading is in a genre or category outside of what they handle. Form rejection. The second reason they say no is because of poor writing skills: grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, etc. Form rejection. The third and most common reason that good writers get rejected is that their story just plain isn’t ready yet. In other words, it’s good—but simply being good doesn’t cut it. A piece of fiction has to be great to catch an agent’s eye.

Each of these issues has a solution.

First, research the agent before submitting. There are a host of resources out there, including the annual guides to agents and book publishers. Always go to the agent’s website to look up information about that agent. While you’re there, check out their fellow agents to see if someone else is actually a better fit. And be sure you know your manuscript’s category! Know not just the primary category but the subcategory. If it’s a true crossover (and not just a thriller with a love story embedded in the plot, for example), know which categories it targets. If you state the category in the query and it doesn’t match the sample pages, you’re going to be rejected.

The second issue is easy to fix. Work with an editor to clean up the manuscript or to do the deeper line editing some manuscripts require. Do not rely on your next door neighbor who is a college professor…professors live inside academia, and the world of academia is insular and separated from standard publishing by a thick brick wall. Do not ask your high school English teacher or a journalist to edit your memoir, business book or novel…they will utilize a more formal style that turns off agents, publishers and readers. Do work with a professional–a fellow novelist, memoir author or business book writer, a freelance editor, or someone you trust from your writer’s group.

The third challenge might require more work from you. Get feedback from authors in a writer’s group or a reader you trust. Ask for conceptual ideas. Don’t let someone get bogged down in editing your spelling errors. Ask for the good stuff: Is the plot exciting? Which milestones don’t track well? Does the suspense constantly rise? Are the characters developed well enough? Writer’s Resource offers written analyses at several price points that can help you with this step.

Self-publishing

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Is self-publishing the new revolution? It sure feels like it. Publisher’s Weekly covered discussions of self-publishing and how authors are breaking into publishing houses through their own efforts in this article. Some of the key points are:
–Do not give you work away for free. Despite what you’ve heard, content does not want to be free. Authors who cannot make a living do not have time to write…and therefore they can’t continue writing. Charge something. It doesn’t have to be much but it does have to be fair.

–It doesn’t take all that much to catch the attention of traditional publishers. Sell 10,000 copies…or even a few thousand less if the timeframe is short…and start sending your book proposal out to agents and publishers.

–Quality still is king. Be sure to edit, proof, and develop your story just as if you were going after the big six publishers.

Writing Tip

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Writer’s Digest recently had this up as a recommendation for rewriting that first draft:

Pare down or eliminate scenes that don’t further the story. Examine plot points, characters, description, dialogue and exposition, until you have precisely what you need to tell your story, and not a character or subplot more. Then apply this same philosophy to your work at the sentence level, killing your darlings and eliminating excessive adjectives and adverbs, along with verbose descriptions. Bring out the flavor of both your story and your style, but stop short of overseasoning.

Many projects I work on have to be trimmed in some way. A close line edit can, word by carefully selected word, trim away as much as 15% of a manuscript’s word count. Books that need higher level work with plot points, dialog and the like, can be reduced further.

The result: Faster pacing, higher suspense, greater emotional impact, condensed tone…and a much better read.

On Reading

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When you’ve finished that novel or nonfiction manuscript, consider whether it’s truly ready to send out. In this essay about reading, the author notes:

And yet, with all four of these books, the authors had not polished their skills, nor had they sufficiently polished their manuscripts. I’m not just talking about misplaced punctuation or bad spelling, either. I’m talking about basic plot holes; two-dimensional, clichéd characters and situations; unnatural and awkward dialogue; and unbelievable, contrived scenarios that didn’t arise naturally out of the events of the story.

Take care of your readers and trust me…they’ll take care of you!

Just for Fun

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Here’s a great visual from Writer’s Digest’s blog on bug-out bags for writers.

Crime fiction

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Yesterday I posted an article written by a man who was stalked by one of his writing students. Today I’m posting about an article on a different author who thought direct contact with the police force would enhance the novels.

As he discovered, police work is mostly boring. I’ve done some ride-along programs with regional police officers to research my own novels. I’ve found that much of what they do is babysitting. They round up the same drunks and respond to the same noise complaints over and over. Very little of their jobs entail high-stakes action.

But when the stakes do rise, they still have to be ready. This blend of boredom and high-octane work is important to capture in your work. It will make the novel more realistic.

Resource

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Here’s an article on a writing instructor who was stalked by a student.

Writers of crime fiction, mysteries, thrillers and suspense novels can turn to real-world experiences such as these for insight into their characters. In this case, since the victim is an author, the experience is presented especially well. The psychology of both victim and stalker is important to understand when you’re aim is to create real characters.

Historic Details

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Here’s an article discussing the historic facts and fiction of several recent movies.

Even if you’re writing historic fiction, you do have some leeway to change things. Consider whether the changes will enhance the story or the character development. If they will, generally it’s all right to make some adjustments to actual fact.

Something for Everyone

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A Norwegian show on firewood has caused controversy.

If you’ve ever wondered whether your particular topic, genre or category has an audience, the answer generally is yes. It might be a small audience but passion, even for firewood, can make for a success. You might have to redefine success, but the controversy over whether the bark should be placed up or down when new logs are added apparently has sparked the most responses!

The lesson: Don’t worry about your audience. Write what you’re passionate about and the audience will follow.

Essays

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Here’s a great article on essay writing: what to keep in mind, goals for the author, and a bit on what to expect after your essays go out into the world.

Short Stories

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Over the past five years, there has been a resurgence in popularity for short stories. Usually authors have had to work with a book-length collection before getting a publisher’s eye. With digital technology, though, there’s a much bigger market for shorts. Check out this article from the New York Times for more.