H
ow often have you
read a book and
thought there was
too much ‘telling’?
Or perhaps it lacked
pace? Maybe the characters weren’t
convincing enough? We can often
see a problem with others’ stories
and writing, but when it’s our own,
precious story that we’ve spent
months, or years, lovingly creating
and cultivating, it’s hard to step back
and to be objective.
As a freelance editor, that’s where I
step in and help. I work with authors
on books in all sorts of genres and it’s
surprising how the same issues come
up again and again. Here the common
problems are explained, together with
some tips on how to tackle them.An overloaded opening
You know what it’s like – your head’s
full of ideas (yes, you may be a
planner and have written a thorough
chapter-by-chapter outline, but you’re
still keen to type those first few words)
and you just want to get started.
So it’s easy to let the writing and
characters run away with you. Before
you know it, you’ve told the reader
all about your main protagonist,
including how many GCSEs they got,
their recurring tonsillitis problems and
how their Aunt Ethel is a medium.
So, by the end of the first chapter,
your reader is left thinking – where on
earth’s the story? They might persevere
with your book and find out thatthere is a story, and a good one, but
many won’t. You don’t want them to
put your book down and switch to
another after the first few chapters.
Yes, backstory is important. But
it can come later. It’s far more
effective to add in snippets
of background detail as you
develop the story. Your
novel opening should be all
about hooking your reader’s
interest. Shock them, intrigue
them, make them want to find
out what happens next.Lack-lustre characters
As the author, you may very well
know exactly what your characters
look like, together with what makes
them tick, and what influences
they’ve had upon their lives. But does
that come across in your book? If the
reader feels the author doesn’t even
know their own characters intimately,
how will the reader invest in them
and come to care enough about them
to read the book?
I’ve known several of my author
friends to cry when they finish a book
as they don’t want their relationship
with their characters to end. They see
their characters as friends and live and
breathe them the whole time they’re
writing their books. You need to
know your characters inside out and
to feel them.
Write in-depth character
biographies for all your characters,
even the minor ones. What motivatesthem? What are their goals? Think
about their physical characteristics,
as well as their personalities. What
about their mannerisms? We all have
them, from the way we might chew
a lip if we’re thinking, to tapping our
fingers if we’re feeling impatient, to
pacing back and forth if we’re talking
on the phone. Don’t forget dialogue.
Do your characters have certainways they say things? Names they
call people, like ‘mate’? Have they
got a deep voice? An accent? Paying
attention to the little details brings
your characters to life.No sense of place
As a reader, you want to be taken
right to the scene so you see the story
and the characters unfold before you.
You may have an image of the scene
in your mind, as you write your book,
but if the reader can’t see it too, then
the book and the characters in them
won’t come to life. You don’t need
passages and passages of purple prose12 NOVEMBER 2019 http://www.writers-online.co.ukCreative
solutions
Tip
Make sure you finish
the opening chapter on
a high, leaving your reader
dangling and compelled
to read on.
Tip
You don’t need to write
detailed descriptions of your
characters in your book but
little bits here and there as
you push your story on, help
to make the characters
‘real’ for your reader.Esther Chilton looks at common problems
for novel writers - and how to overcome them