A few tips on writing

Adrian’s basic guide and editing checklist

PLANNING A NOVEL

One main storyline: keep the storyline as straight and clear as you can make it.

One main character: not too many characters, a maximum of five or six is best.

Your opening should be dramatic. Steam straight into the action. Introduce your protagonist early. A brief description of him/her and flesh out some details about the protagonist.

No more than 5 or 6 round characters.

Be careful that there are not too many changes of geographical settings or locations. When you change, have a strong reason for doing so.

SHOW DON’T TELL

Frame by frame continuity.

What are the functions of your characters?

What makes each character uniquely different from each other?

Define your characters by their actions, and by what they say and think.

Focus the readers like and dislike in your characters. How do the characters function: Elianor is sensible, Marianne is over-emotional, Macbeth is ambitious, etc.

Round characters are key and very important.

Flat characters play minor roles. Use Flat characters to help advance the plot and storyline.

SENTENCES

Each Sentence : What is My Basic Point Subject? What Am I Saying About It?

If in doubt over a choice of words, opt for the simple word over the longer more complicated word.

Keep sentences short, use simple vocabulary.

Sentences should be visual and speakable.

One thought one sentence.

Build sentence round a person or solid object.

CHAPTERS

Each chapter should be a water-tight, self-contained episode.

Chapters should have broad themes, yet be strong as a unit.

Chapters should be short: no more than eight to twelve pages. They can be as short as half a page, or two, three, four pages in length. But three pages should be the minimum guide.

A chapter should link with the preceding and following chapter.

Who or what is the chapter about?

Where is the chapter set/location?

Chapters should end with a cliff-hanger or a hook.

PARAGRAPHS

A paragraph should contain one main topic.

The topic should be clearly signalled by the opening sentence, which is called a topic sentence.

You should be able to get an overview of the content of a paragraph by just by scanning the opening (topic) sentence of each paragraph.

The topic is then developed, either by further explanation, an example, or by a contrast of opinion.

You may occasionally need a linking sentence to the next paragraph.

Short paragraphs are best – long paragraphs only if it is necessary.

A break in the text occurs at a change of, Subject, Time, Place and Viewpoint, and indicated by asterisks or a white space between sections.

DIALOGUE

It is vitally important to have your characters talk to each other.

Use stream-of-thought for secret, or private, or highly individual experience.

Use characters’ streams of thought to let people know their inner world; perhaps reveal things that would not be revealed in any other way.

What did your characters, think, see, hear, smell, taste or feel.

Is your dialogue speakable?

Does your dialogue make sense when spoken aloud?

Don’t have your characters explain too much in their conversations with each other unless it’s essential. The best dialogue is when the reader eavesdrops on conversations and uses his/her intelligence to fill in the gaps.

Read the best traditional and contemporary plays to see how dialogue works.

CAN I SEE IT

Use your imagination to picture the scene you are writing about.

What do your characters see, hear, touch, taste, smell.

Use vivid descriptions.

There should be something visual on every page.

Use real life experiences to describe characters, scenes and locations.

FAMOUS AUTHOR’S ADVICE

Henry James : Dramatise, Dramatise, Dramatise. Add as much credible drama and suspense as possible.

Ruth Padell : Show Don’t Tell. Do not narrate when your characters can explain themselves and each other, by what they say, think and do.

Walter Allen : Settings are centrally important and should be generally motivated.

What is the purpose of the setting?

What is its role in the novel?

Raleigh : Good novelists are great novel readers.

James Patterson : Outline, outline, outline. Plan you novel. Have the beginning, middle and end. List your chapters before you start writing.

FR and QD Leavis : The Function of characters, their roles in the novel should be made clear.

What is unique to each individual character?

Alain : ( French Philosopher ) An abstract style is always bad. Your sentences should be full of stones, metals, chairs, tables, animals, men and women.

Editing Checklist

1) Plot - Linked Cause and Effect throughout my novel.

2) Storyine - Check for Weaknesses, Repetition and 'Shoes and Socks'

problems.

3) Characters - Their Function and Actions. Eg. Are they always acting, speaking, and thinking in character.

4) Sign-Posting - In my chapters have I indicated to the reader where there next part of my story is leading.

5) Topic Sentences - Do my paragraphs have topic sentences to indicate to the reader what the next section is about.

6) Chapter Titles - Are my chapter titles suitable.

7) Chapters - Do my chapters have a dramatic opening, a signpost, and end with a cliff-hanger, or a hook.

8) Dialogue - Does it make sense when spoken aloud.

9) Streams of Thought - Does it make sense when spoken aloud.

10) Descriptions - Are they vivid, but not too long.

11) Settings - Do my settings have a strong purpose. Are they generally motivated.

12) Prose - Does my prose flow. Does it have pace.

13) Keep my sentences as short as possible.

14) Fix clunky sentences.

15) Cutting Superfluous Text - Every-Word-Must-Earn-Its-Keep.

George Orwell:

(i) Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.

(ii) Never use a long word where a short one will do.

(iii) If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.

(iv) Never use the passive where you can use the active. Use short sentences for pace, and write in the active voice.

(v) Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.

16) Grammar.

17) Punctuation.

Readers are free to copy my guide my basic guide and editing checklist.

I hope you find it useful.