Everyone wants to write characters who feel like living, breathing people. After all, that is how readers connect with them, feel for them, and eventually love or hate them—our ultimate goal. Whether you are trying to adequately describe real people, like your parents in your autobiography, or you are creating characters from scratch, such as in a fictional narrative, there are some common mistakes you should avoid. Mistake #1: Simply Listing Their Characteristics This is probably the comment I leave the most on manuscripts I am editing. Specific physical description is important, but it should also tell us something about…
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You can just picture it: the white, sandy beaches, the colorful sunset, the cool water flowing over your toes, the igloo glistening in the sun…. wait, when did an igloo come into your tropical beach scene? Just an example of how important it is when writing a manuscript set in a real-life location to be as accurate as possible, especially for a setting readers will be able to recognize. As the sentiment says, readers enjoy being transported to another world through the pages of a book. However, if a book has obvious inconsistencies in its description of the setting, readers…
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So you’ve selected the perfect topic for your book and are ready to get started. You’re probably thinking that your next step should be to write the title, correct? After all, it’s easier to write five words than five chapters! How do you sum up your literary masterpiece in a few short words? Have no fear: the second article in our new “Ask the Editor” series is here to help! Titling a book can be exciting, in the same way a proud new parent is excited when selecting the nomenclature for their firstborn child, but also exasperatingly daunting because unlike…