Revision 101: Protagonist Check-list

So you have a plan, a draft, or even something you're really to call a novel. Before you put it out there, you'll need to take a hard and honest look at chapter, every scene, every word or it, with a distant, honest eye. One of the key factors you'll need to take a look at is the story's protagonist. Ask yourself the following questions to see if you're got the right hero for the job.

1. Does this character make an interesting entrance? The first time the reader meets her, is she showing some relatable/admirable quality, initiating or reacting to a situation in a provocative or relatable way? If your protagonist is sitting around thinking about how he/she got to that point in Chapter One, consider scrapping it (as a reader, I'm beggin' you) and starting with Chapter Two, feeding in only the tiniest splinters of backstory as necessary.

2. Is the character sympathetic on some level? Even the anti-hero might love his mother, worry about his carbon footprint, or slam on his brakes (or his way to a bank heist) for a mama duck and her ducklings crossing the street. Or maybe she simply expresses her wicked thoughts with such panache, honesty, or humor that we laugh in recognition. The only thing less forgivable than an unlikeable character is one that's so bland he/she vanishes against the scenery like a chameleon, so make sure we'll at the very least remember this character as we continue reading.

3. Does the character have agency throughout the story? Does she make things happen rather than simply having things happening to her? One of my pet peeves is what I call "dust mote characters," who simply float through the plot, buffeted by every puff of air (and usually whining about it.) If your character starts out passive, at least show signs that he/she has the potential to make a change.

One of the reasons, in my opinion, that Harry Potter has been so wildly popular is because rather that spending all his time angsting about his dead parents and mean aunt and uncle, he boldy and actively sets out to change things, even when it's risky (exhibiting qualities people look for in leaders.) Although the Twilight Saga, on the other hand, is a very successful series and has other good qualities, I was very annoyed by the character of Bella, who seemed to be much more reactive than active (at least in the first book, which was as far as I got in the series.) Characters should have more to do in the story than observe change and be rescued.

In my opinion, truly great books and series have truly memorable, dynamic protagonists. If you have a really good one, the reader will forgive bland settings, clunky prose, and plot holes you can drive a truck through. If you don't, even the most fascinating backdrop, cleverest writing, and most intricate story may not be enough to save yours.

Happy revising!

Embracing (the Right) Changes

I love Microsoft Word's "Track Changes" feature. Not only does it simplify the task of working with multiple editors/critique partners, it boils down our most essential everyday choices so neatly. Take this screenshot, for instance.

While reviewing and correcting a document that's been marked up by a trusted critique partner, my agent, or an editor, my gut reaction is all too often to click on "reject change" and move on to the next item on my nearly-overwhelming to-do list. But frequently, I come to realize it's the wrong decision and I end up going back and making the changes anyway.

To help myself embrace those pesky, #$@*! changes, I've come up with a few ground rules.

1. Understand that your first reaction to any suggested change is going to be ego-driven and emotional. Allow for that by first reviewing all suggested changes without reacting to any of them.

2. Complain to your significant other, best friend, or critique partner about what an idiot the person requesting said changes is not to recognize the genius of your vision. I call this my wailing and gnashing of teeth stage.

3. Take a walk or have a glass of wine. Then sleep on it, if at all possible. These steps give the suggested changes the opportunity to filter down through your brain's many layers of resistance.

4. More than likely, by this time, you will realize that the editor in question was right about at least a few things. Address those "easy fixes" first.

5. Take a second look at each of the others. You will undoubtedly be pleasantly surprised to realize the other person has a point. Address it, not necessarily in the same way the editor/critiquer suggested, but try to fix the underlying problem that prevented the reader from getting whatever you were trying to communicate.

6. Next, tackle the items your ego resisted most fiercely. You may find this was not because the editor was wrong, but because the point in question was going to take more effort to correct. Concede that you were really just being lazy, roll up your sleeves, and get to work.

7. If you truly don't agree with something, even after you've taken time to think things through carefully, don't make the change. Instead, reread the entire document. You may find that the reviewer's suggestion was based on a weakness you can address in some other way.

8. Realize and allow for the fact that sometimes, even the most professional editors/critiquer/reviewer is going to be wrong. Maybe he was interrupted by a phone call and missed something that most readers would find obvious. Maybe she doesn't know your genre as well as you do or wanted you to reveal something ahead of the spot where it would have the strongest impact. Embracing change is important, but sometimes, as the author, it's your responsibility to reject it. After all, the buck stops with you, and like your reviewer, you're an expert reader, too.

The truth is, not even your editor expects you to agree and comply with every single comment and suggestion. If you're really worried about something, ask if it's a deal breaker and explain your point of view. Even if the editor still objects, this will give her a chance to better explain her resistance and brainstorm mutually acceptable ideas with you.

How do you handle the editing process? Do you often find your ego getting in the way?

Cutting to the Chase

Just read a terrific post on Stephen King's Top 7 Tips for Becoming a Better Writer by Henrik Edberg over at the Positivity Blog. Thanks, Henrik, for sharing these reminders from King's classic, On Writing (which I highly recommend). They're absolutely timeless and usable for writers of every ilk.

They were also a great reminder that 90% of editing your work ought to be about cutting to the chase with the surgical excision of anything that form a barrier between the reader and the story. A few of those things include:

1. Show-offish writing: Vocabulary, sentence construction, or artsy-overload which calls attention to itself and the cleverness of author.
2. Backstory and flashbacks: If you can't tell it in real time, hint at it via character actions, attitude, and dialogue.
3. Pointless description. A richly-described world can really make a story - when such description pulls double duty by adding layers to mood, characterization, or the story itself. If it serves none of the previous functions, it either needs to be cut or given significance.
4. confusion: Nothing pulls me out of the story as much as having to flip back to try and figure out which character is which, where I am in the story, or what the heck is going on. To reduce the chance of losing the reader, limit the number of characters when possible and for heaven's sake, don't give a whole mess of them similar names.
5. Scenes that don't matter: If a scene has no impact on the plot and/or nothing at stake, try cutting it and seeing if you can simply allude to any info revealed in other, more interested scenes.
6. Excessive adjectives and adverbs: I'm not among those who thinks the only good modifier's a dead one, but many can be dispensed with, particularly in dialogue tags. If you can tell how someone said something from the context, don't insult the reader's intelligence or slow the story by giving this unnecessary information.

So as you're checking over scenes, chapters, or your whole manuscript, think like a sculptor (or a cosmetic plastic surgeon!) and consider what might best be cut away. Then try saving a new version of your leaner, meaner story, along with an "outtakes file" where you drop and preserve your "killed darlings" in case you need anything from them for later.

I can almost guarantee you'll like the skinnified version better.

A Tip from Twain: Revision

As all you NaNoWrMo folks (and others) finish up manuscripts, here's a great tip from the great beyond to help guide you with what may be the most crucial phase of the writing process.

You need not expect to get your book right the first time. Go to work and revamp or rewrite it. God only exhibits his thunder and lightning at intervals, and so they always command attention. These are God's adjectives. You thunder and lightning too much; the reader ceases to get under the bed, by and by.
- Samuel Clemens, a.k.a. Mark Twain, from a letter to Orion Clemens, 23 March 1878

Have a great Thanksgiving week, everyone!

Why Revision Matters

As I meticulously make my way through this set of revisions, I'm reminded of one reason so few people are capable of producing a publishable novel. A lot of folks are blessed with talent, and a fair percentage of them also have the required stubbornness (or arrogance, depending on how you choose to look at it) to persist through the submission-rejection cycle. Of these, an even smaller subset will read widely, study the industry, and get an accurate feel for the market segment they wish to target. That still leaves a lot of people, but of this group, even fewer will have the focus and attention to detail it takes to go through the same manuscript the number of times it takes to bring out its potential.

We used to live in a world that produced a lot more patient craftsmanship, a world that understood and valued the tireless pursuit of one's best effort. Today's faster-paced society, with its swift travel, lightning-fast communications, and emphasis on rapid-fire production, doesn't create as many individuals prepared for the arduous effort needed to pore through four hundred pages (and then some, in my case) of character arcs, plot elements, rising action, themes, etc. and attend to each detail. It's a shame, a real loss, but there are those of us who still enjoy it
-- or at least resolve to suffer through it -- to do our best by the story. Since we're flawed and human, the finished product will never be perfection, but even so, there's a quiet type of joy to be gained in the pursuit.