"Write it Sideways" site Freely adapted from : 101 Best Fiction Writing Tips by _Suzannah Windsor Freeman_ (http://writeitsideways.com/author/suzannah/) 1. The premise of a novel has to get readers’ attention before they read a word of the book. -What is it all about ? This needs to be clear on page #1 or no later than a few pages into the text and "clear" means exactly that, no confusion possible on the part of the reader, everything understandable 2. Something should happen immediately in your story that tells us what the story is about. 3. Your protagonist can’t be easily satisfied. He needs to want something badly 4. In the opening scene, give your protagonist strong emotions with which we can identify. 5. The protagonist should fail many times before succeeding. 6. Know everything about your characters’ backstories, but write about only 10% of it 7. Your characters’ names matter. Avoid names that have similar beginnings or endings -choose names with the greatest possible care, ask what most readers will think when reading about Ivan or Sally or Beulah or Alphonse. 8. Subplots are what put the meat on the bones of novel-length fiction 9. Every sentence of your story must reveal character or advance action. 10. Description assumes a point-of-view. Be clear about what that is. Then find a place to take a stand. 11. Get your facts right first, don't make stuff up when there are facts which people can check. You can modify facts only insofar as the modifications are scientifically plausible. 12. As a chapter ends, where resolution would normally occur, a major new complication is introduced, compelling the reader to read on. 13. Arrive late in a scene and leave early. No need to belabor setups or conclusions in every scene. 14. Think every scene through, make sure you have actually dealt with all major implications. 15. In action scenes, vary sentence length and structure to increase or decrease speed and excitement. -in writing generally, mix it up. Short paragraphs of only one sentence, then a long paragraph, then a paragraph of three short sentences, etc 16. Sometimes the scenes you don’t want to write (because they make you uncomfortable) are the scenes you most need to write 17. Description works best when it’s not ornamental or seen from the eye of God, but when it comes from a character viewpoint. 18. Use simple words instead of deliberately choosing big words -actually big words can be perfectly OK, but use long words sparingly and Very Carefully 19. To pick up a dragging plot, try changing a scene setting to a more interesting location. -or introduce new characters with new points of view who want to solve an established problem 20. Be careful of ‘bunny trails’—tangents that don’t enhance the story or lead anywhere. 21. Your main characters should develop dramatically in their identities, relationships, thoughts and feelings. 22. Instead of describing every character in detail, give each a characteristic unique to him or her. 23. Christian fiction maintains certain standards, but not everything can or should be sanitized. 24. Basically, while there may be rare exceptions, never use flashbacks 25. Ask yourself what might make a hyper-critical agent put down [reject] your manuscript.
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