Your Manuscript in Flight
An Aerial View
I. FIRST DRAFT MUST-HAVES
“TRUE CHARACTER is revealed in the choices a human being makes under pressure—the greater the pressure, the deeper the revelation, the truer the choice to the character’s essential nature.” Story by Robert McKee. Regan Books/HarperCollins, 1997
Young Adult Novels are tight, punchy, and to the point, but you don’t have a story until you have a main character.
There are two types of characters: Flat and Dimensional.
Flat characters have no depth and are more stereotypical (ie. greedy leprechaun, hero that doesn’t need anyone). Their qualities are solely seen by action and motivation. These types of characters make readers/editors put your book down.
Whereas, dimensional characters are well rounded and have the qualities of characterization, which can be defined as the sum of all the human qualities that make the human being or, in this case, your character. You should strive to make sure that your characters are fully dimensional as these are the types of characters that publishers want.
You cannot describe a dimensional character; their qualities are revealed in the observable choices they make.
When you are developing your character, who is this person? Are they loving/cruel? Generous/selfish? The readers will only know these qualities as they witness the choices your character makes in the story. When a character is making a choice, pressure is essential. Making a choice without risk means nothing and reveals nothing about your character.
To have a three-dimensional character, you must develop their back-stories. A back-story is everything that has happened to the character up until the point the story begins. This information is necessary for you, not the reader.
Keep in mind that in the course of your story, if you name a character then they must be integral to the story. If the character is not important, then don’t give them a name. For example, if the grocery clerk is named Mary, then we’re going to assume she’s important to the story. If she’s not, then just call her the grocery clerk.
Aside from your characters, other elements in a first draft you should consider are your premise and theme.
Your story should have a beginning, middle, and end. Your plot should thread each part of your novel to maintain tension, which will ultimately satisfy your reader to the very end. Change is a key element that keeps the reader turning the pages. Change gives the story momentum, but it is only meaningful if it happens to your main character. Story events/values cause meaningful change and are universal values of a story experience (ie positive/negative, truth/lie, and loyalty/betrayal).
There should be some foreshadowing in the first setting of the story to give your readers a hint of things to come. If you have a scene that doesn’t propel the story forward, then it isn’t necessary. Make sure that every act in your story is meaningful to your character’s experience.
Summary: Elements you’ll need in a first draft.
1. Characters, all used to good purpose, all with backstories
2. Premise, plot beginning point, overall theme
3. Layout, three acts
A Close Up
II. FINAL DRAFT NIT-PICKIES
“VOICE ... gives a choice. Too few writers take it, however, relying instead on the flaccid passive, which almost always takes more words. The active voice normally is shorter, livelier, and more direct—and so is usually preferred.” Edit Yourself by Bruce Ross-Larson. W.W. Norton, 1996
If you haven’t written your first draft yet, don’t worry about revising. In the first draft, you should let your words flow.
When you are ready to revise, start by cutting out all the fat from your manuscript. First draft writing is often full of lard. You want to direct your readers to important words and what words help drive the story. Excess words have a tendency to tire your readers. In addition to trimming the writing, take a close look at your dialogue tags because half of them can be cut without losing reading comprehension.
Stay clear of passive sentences, such as:
There is/there are
To be/ plus past participle
Have been/will be
And change them to active sentences!
Passive voice gives a choice. Active voice is shorter, livelier, and direct. For example, “This book was written by me” is a passive sentence. “I wrote this book” is an active sentence. If you’re having a hard time changing passive to active, try using precise, concrete, and specific words to add liveliness. For example, “my character has lower tract abominable pain” can be changed to “my character has diarrhea.”
Remember, you’re the one painting the picture for your reader.
Summary: Elements you’ll need to remember when you revise.
1. Fat becomes concise
2. Excessive dialogue tags
3. Passive or uninteresting language becomes active and precise
A Happy Landing
III. BUILDING A RESUME
To build your writing résumé, get started with short stories, articles, and contests. Use your current work as a stepping-stone towards your ultimate success. Every little step will eventually get you that writing contract. As you build your résumé, make sure you put all that information in your cover letter when you submit to editors.
Other avenues are grants, which will help you with time to write, travel, or research, and artist residencies, which will not only give you a place to get away and write but also offer networking possibilities.
Summary: Avenues to Pursue
Writing competitions = Kay Snow! www.willamettewriters.com
Grants = Literary Arts, Inc., and Regional Arts & Culture Council
Residencies = Hedgebrook, Centrum, and Caldera
Nancy Osa is a young adult author and freelance editor. She can be reached at Editorisin@aol.com.
