Four years ago this month, the wheels began to turn for our move to Wisconsin. This was 2020 at the beginning of lockdown, and moving during a pandemic presented many challenges. I'm still trying to find my footing and my place as a Wisconsin author. I'm getting there and taking steps to keep moving forward.
One thing that I've started this year is a new fiction writers' group at a wonderful independent bookstore in Two Rivers, Wisconsin, Paper Crane Bookstore. Six (!) people came to the first meeting, and I'm absolutely thrilled. The Friday Night Writers range from published authors to writers who have a lot of ideas but aren't sure where or how to start.
I thought I'd dust off the old blog to discuss some of the craft topics we'll be talking about during the first portion of our monthly meetups.
As far as writing basics go, I'm jumping way ahead to discuss how to prepare your manuscript for your critique partners and wanted to share the information here as well. These tips are based off a blog post I wrote many years ago for the now-defunct YA Buccaneers.
Find and replace.
Let's begin at the level of the word. Before you send off any manuscript, use the FIND function to take inventory of overused words, crutch words, passive verbs, adverbs, and those pesky -ing verbs.
- JUST. I am a just queen. It's my number one overused word. You know yourself as a writer, so look for yours. I'm happy to report that I catch myself now as I'm writing just and my other overused words.
- ADVERBS. Run a search for -ly. You'll get words like family and fly, of course, but as you scroll through the results, you'll find instances where the sentence is much more powerful without the adverb. Try it!
- WAS/WERE/IS/AM. As you try to find ways to make your sentence stronger. Is the sentence passive (The necklace was given to me by my aunt versus My aunt gave me the necklace). Is the verb followed by another verb (Gideon was wearing a black shirt versus Gideon wore a black shirt)?
A famous writerly quote by Mark Twain states that The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug. I'd take it a step further and say that sometimes NO word is better than the almost right word, especially if it's just.
Read your manuscript aloud.
Taking the time to read your manuscript aloud is such an important part of the process and serves many purposes. Your overused words will jump out at you (especially if you've used the same word five times in the same paragraph). You'll catch spelling errors, missing or incorrect words, awkward sentence structure, run-on sentences, clunky dialogue, repetition, etc. that you may have glossed over while rereading your draft for the ninety-eighth time. You'll realize that in the first chapter, your main character's best friend had blue eyes, but in chapter five, they're green. Unnatural or stilted dialogue will clock you over the head as you stumble through it.
Reading your MS aloud takes a lot of time, especially if you do it in one sitting. But it's so worth it in the end.
Make it pretty.
Your critique partners (and beta readers) deserve a clean, crisp manuscript. Make it pretty. Double check the formatting. Standard formatting is double spaced, 12 point font (I still use Times New Roman), one-inch margins. Are your chapter headings correct and consistent? You'll spend time obsessing over the format of your manuscript before you send it to a potential agent or editor, so why not take the time now and deliver a quality product to your CPs?
Set expectations.
What type of critique do you expect from your CP? What types of comments and suggestions are you looking for? Do you want them to only focus on content and the elements of fiction or would you also like them to note issues at the level of the word, including spelling and what I like to call GPS: Grammar, punctuation, and syntax?
Do you have a deadline and does that deadline work for them? Find out how much time they need to do a thorough job and be flexible if you can. What does your CP expect in return? When will their manuscript be ready for you?
Make a wish list.
Whenever someone sends me a manuscript to edit or critique, I always ask for their wish list. What are their top questions or concerns with the manuscript? Should I focus on something in particular as I read?
Put together a wish list for your manuscript. Think about your trouble spots or plot holes and call those out in your list. If it's not working for you, it probably won't work for them, either. Your CP will appreciate the guidance.
I hope these tips help as you prepare your manuscript for your critique partners. Putting in the time now to polish and shine your work will benefit both you and your CPs in the long run. Good luck! And check back soon for more writing tips.
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