Welcome to A Novel Approach. If this is your first issue, I encourage you to check out my back issues for more tips on how to write a novel. It's my fondest hope that I can help other writers do the best they can do.

If you have any specific aspects about novel writing you'd like me to address in future issues, please feel free to contact me and let me know what those are. Thank you for your interest, and here's to better writing!

Writing a Novel Part 13 - Editing, Part 5

But it can be so fun when you get it right!

Over the next months, I will continue posting issues that go through my Novel Editing Worksheet step by step. Feel free to download a copy and follow along.

In four previous issues, we walked through the first steps in editing a novel: working on your plot, and beginning to work on characters.

We're still plugging away at editing, still refining our characters, to be sure they have enough, but not too much, character.

This month, we'll look at steps 9-12 on the editing worksheet. If you don't have a copy, you can download it free of charge by clicking the link just above.

Okay, let's get started (restarted?)

Step 9. Have you created any characters with exaggerated traits, and if so, are they still plausible? If not, tone those down or change them.

I didn't try to make any characters with exaggerated traits. This is a "tweens" novel, and they might not understand the humor of it. They might take it as serious.

An example of a character exaggeration, just so you understand it, would be to have a character who always spoke in rhyme, or in cliches. Or you could exaggerate a physical characteristic. For instance, you could create a character shaped like a Barbie doll (which is far from normal human shaped). Be careful you don't overdo any tactice like this.

Step 10. Are your characters "described" more through their actions and dialogue than through plain prose? If not, change it so they are.

Here's an excerpt from my novel showing how two teenage boys react in typical male-aggressive manner when in a tense situation. It gives us a look at both characters with their body language and words.

The "I", "me" character is Alezantha, my main, viewpoint character.

Nathan recovered first and whirled to glare at us. “What are you doing in my backyard! This isn’t a walking path. This is private property… I know you.” He looked straight at me and I at him. Why was he in his backyard at midnight! Nathan grabbed me by both arms. “What are you doing back here in the middle of the night? Sneaking around with a couple friends—think you can steal something? I’ll--” “No. Nathan, no. It’s not what you think.” Why was he out here this time of night? I hadn’t seen him when we landed, but we were walking and we’d stumbled right into him. My night sight wasn’t great right away, so I must have just missed seeing him out here. “Then what is it?” “Let my sister go!” Kierhan said. He pried at Nathan’s fingers. Nathan bared his teeth at him. “Sister, huh? This other one a sister, too?” “Nathan, let go. Let me explain.” How? “What are you doing out in your yard at midnight?” Kierhan asked as Nathan let go of me and stepped back a pace. “Sneaking off to see a girl?” Even in the scant light, I could see Nathan go a little pale. “None of your business, kid.” “I’m not a kid,” Kierhan said. “Unless you are, too. Bet you’re only fifteen or sixteen.” “I have a driver’s license,” Nathan said, putting his nose three inches from Kierhan’s. “Do you?” “No. But that doesn’t make me a kid in that tone of voice.” “Could we stop arguing and maybe try to act civilized with each other?” Ella asked. “This is Nathan,” I said. “This is my brother, Kierhan and my friend, Ella.” Nathan lifted one eyebrow. “You think introductions make it okay to be in my backyard in the middle of the night?” “No. I’m sorry. We didn’t walk across here on purpose.” “I know, you were “lost” again.” I sighed. “I can’t tell you why we’re here. You wouldn’t believe me anyway.” “Want a bet?” Nathan asked quietly. We stared at each other a minute, then Nathan said quietly, “Do you know which tree, now?” My eyes went round, and Ella grabbed my arm in fear. Kierhan jumped between Nathan and us girls. What was it with men and boys thinking girls were helpless? I elbowed him. He only grunted and stood with his arms folded across his chest. “What do you mean by that?” “What do you think I mean?”

Step 11. Are all characters acting consistently and believably throughout the novel, rather than just because you need them to act a certain way to fit the plot?

I think I've managed this. In order to show it, I'd have to give you a large portion of the novel, which would be too much for a newsletter. I promise you can read it as soon as it's published (this year, if all goes well). In the meantime, suffice it to say, I've made sure no one acts out of character throughout the novel.

Step 12. Are all the necessary "good" and "bad" characters well enough developed to support the protagonist and the novel?

This is what I'm currently working to tighten up. I recommend you begin with a character sketch of all your main and larger supporting characters. It doesn't hurt to also do mini-character sketches for every character in your novel.

Why? Because then you know enough about them to make sure they're believable. If they don't seem real, you'll disappoint or bore away your readers.

Be especially careful with your antagonists, your bad guys (or girls). Too often I read novels where the bad guys are flat, evil villains, with no reason to act the way they do. You can do better than that with a little work.

If you're a goody-two-shoes, like me, you'll have to work a little harder to do well with the bad guys (and get reference books that sound like a murderer's library), but it is worth the effort, believe me.

That's it for this month. Next month, we'll finish up with characters and get set to move on to setting.

Happy writing!

A great quote about how characters, once you think you know them well, often have minds of the own.

My fictitious characters will take the bit between their teeth and gallop off and do something that I hadn't counted on. ~ Colleen McCullough