Tips for Evaluating a Manuscript

If you belong to a writer’s circle or edit for a living, evaluating another writer’s manuscript is a little different from self-editing.

It’s important to give an honest evaluation without brutalizing the work. Feel free to tear your own work into a thousand pieces and throw it all over the office, but never do that to a fellow writer’s manuscript.

Most rules still apply when editing another writer’s work.

Voice – Is the voice distinctive and unique. Agents and publishers love the word unique. Is the narrative easy to read and does it flow from scene to scene?

Characters – Make sure they are believable and well-drawn. Are there one or two main characters who ground the novel? What are their motivations? Do all the characters sound the same? Does the viewpoint keep shifting all over the place? Are there too many characters? Perhaps a couple of characters can be eliminated or blended into one. Make sure the speaker attributions are limited to said and asked. It’s physically impossible to moan or shudder or sigh words.

Setting – Does the setting complement the characters and plot? Does the setting have enough or too little description? If the setting takes place in a real city, are the details accurate? Has the setting been used as a tool for plot and action?

Plot – What makes this plot different from other novels? Does the beginning grab the reader and make them want to turn the pages? Make sure the middle has an epiphany that sets the protagonist back or forward in his/her quest. Does the climax satisfy and wrap up all the loose details? Are there holes in the story that need fleshing out? Is the plot too long or too short?

Pacing – Does the pacing move the plot along or are you yawning while you read? Perhaps the structure needs tightening up in certain areas. Do scene and chapter breaks flow? Make sure the sentences and paragraphs vary in size.

Style – Does the style suit the genre? Check grammar and technical issues. Has the author used imagery in the form of metaphors and similes? 

Point out the strengths of the novel as well as the weaknesses. Suggest alternative techniques of fixing problem areas such as a copy edit, or where to cut scenes where nothing much happens.

I find that editing another writer’s work helps me with my own writing. What tips do you use when editing a manuscript?

The Antagonist as the Main Character

The main character in the novel I'm currently writing just happens to be a villain who thinks he's the good guy. Of course, he's not all bad and he has a good reason to mistrust others whom he believes want to steal something important from him.

A sympathetic antagonist has several traits that a writer must consider. He must be believable and adapt to changes, whether he wants to or not. His flaws come from a survival instinct and the fear of discovery. It's the consequences of discovery that motivates his actions. His secrets should be revealed gradually throughout the novel.

He doesn't necessarily need to dislike the people he hurts and he only kills when threatened. This does not apply to serial killers, but my antagonist isn't mentally unbalanced. A believable antagonist acts on his desires and is highly motivated by something only the writer knows. He must have a few sympathetic traits, such as loving animals. Birdman of Alcatraz fits into that category. Robert Franklin Stroud was convicted of manslaughter, but his love of birds helped him pass the time in prison.

A few novels with the antagonist as the main character are, Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux, the musical, Wicked, by Winnie Holzman, and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie. All of these characters have a few good traits and some manage to mend their evil ways.

When I was a child, one of my favourite characters was the Grinch, created by Dr. Seuss.Cold and Heartless, the Grinch doesn't want anyone to be happy and spends his time sabotaging the sunny community of Whoville.

Using the antagonist as the main character opens a whole range of opportunities for an author. Just remember that he must strike a cord of sympathy with the reader and become almost an anti-hero.

A Writer's Mess

A New York Times article says that a messy desk can be inspiring. "Disorderly environments seem to inspire breaking free of tradition," Dr. Vohs and her co-authors conclude in the study, “which can produce fresh insights.”

I agree to a point, but sometimes the mess becomes a nuisance that I can’t ignore. I don’t understand why the rest of my house is clean and orderly, but the office is not. 

This time of year I like to organise my office and clear the clutter out of the way. I tell myself this action helps me write, but perhaps it’s just a distraction or another way to procrastinate. I’m sure my office looks like many other writers’ work spaces with large shelves crammed with books and magazines, several desks—because one might become too cluttered to work at—two file cabinets for my notes and supplies, and a comfortable chair where I can sit and read.  I won’t mention the closet that is crammed full of old manuscripts and games. 

I tackle one thing at a time. The main wood desk with my computer is cleared off and polished with a lemony scented cleaner. It sparkles and I return only the necessary items, such as pens, pencil, reading glasses and post-it sticky pads. 

Then I clear one book shelf at a time. I remove each book and decide if it’s a keeper or, if I can summon up the nerve, donate it to a used book shop. Same with the magazines, and it always surprises me how many I’ve kept over the past year. I skim through each one, looking for pages I might want to save. My favourites go back on the shelf and the others are tossed into the recycle bin.

The books on my shelves account for about ten percent of my collection. I have a second edition Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontё that smells of old leather and has yellowed pages. I have the entire collection of Agatha Christie’s novels, all paperbacks that I bought in the ‘70s and read while I took the subway to and from work. One day I intend to read them in chronological order. 

Of course, I have several dictionaries and books on grammar and editing. Stephen King’s On Writing is always at hand. I keep a stash of goodies in the lower cupboard so I don’t have to run downstairs if I want some trail mix or dark chocolate, preferably Godiva or Lindt. On the other side are my candles and incense, which I love to burn and inhale the inspiring essences. 

Keeping the office organised is a continuous chore that gives me great satisfaction. A messy desk does not inspire me to be creative. I guess I don’t want to break free of tradition.

Happy New Year!

A new year, a new chance to forget the mistakes, the failures, the wishes that didn't come true. It's time to start afresh. Here's a clean slate that I can design any way I want. I have a whole year to make it all happen.

I have no need or desire to make new year's resolutions, especially those that are out of my control. A finished novel is a great achievement, but getting it published traditionally is pie in the sky or a shot in the dark or jam tomorrow.

I spent the first six months of 2013 querying literary agents for my completed novel. A few asked for samples, but none took the bait. I decided to get a professional opinion and sent the manuscript to an editor for a substantive evaluation. It took me a month to make the changes he proposed, then I sent it back to him for a copy edit. Was it worth the money I invested? Only time will tell.

So, here we go again. 2014 will see me querying agents with a fresh, revised novel with a new title, a lower word count and fewer characters that just might be the bait agents are looking for.

I’m halfway through a new novel, but I stopped writing because my unpredictable characters ventured so far off the outline’s path that I need to organise my thoughts and make sure I’m headed in the right direction.

I’m looking forward to another year of writing, and I'm crossing my fingers that this will be the year that I find that elusive literary agent who will find a publishing house for my prose.