I remember the first time I got feedback on a story I’d written.
“Overwriting.” “Flat characters.” “Unbelievable plot.” “Doesn’t draw me in.”
I stared at the rejection letter, baffled. (While wiping my tears). I hadn’t a clue how to decipher the words on the page – let alone fix my story.
But, if I wanted to be published, I had to figure it out. So, I “unpacked the criticism” as my friend literary agent Chip MacGregor would say and learned how to give my writing – and my books – an extreme book makeover.
I love Extreme Home Makeover. I know it’s off the air now, but I used to be glued to it, curious how these professionals would tear down and rebuild a home to suit a family’s needs. They assessed each problem, got a vision for the project and worked in their skill area to create an Aha! effect.
This is the task facing every aspiring (and published!) author. We must learn to step back from our stories, look at them with a critical eye, figure out what a good manuscript looks like and then use our unique voice to make that happen.
But how does an author look at their book objectively and give it a makeover?
This year on the Monday MBT blog, we’ll be covering the 5-Step process of an Extreme Book Makeover.
Step 1: Does your PLOT work?
The plot is an intricate tangle of external goals and obstacles, twined with internal wants and problems. The want must push the character into the plot, at the right moment, ignited by the inciting incident, toward a goal. But standing in the way of that goal are obstacles, both external and internal, which conspire to cause the hero and/or heroine to take a good look at, and overcome, their problem through the process of character change.
So they can do something at the end they can’t at the beginning and, well, save the day. Or live Happily Ever After. Preferably, both. We call this the “Push-Pull PLOT.”
When assessing your story, the first stop must be untangling that plot to look at all the pieces to make sure each is solid before re-building. That means an understanding of PLOT structure, how PLOT works in the life of the Character, digging down into Character to understand their unique role in the story, and laying out the story in the right rhythm.
But you can’t stop there.
Step 2: Does your CHARACTER grow?
Beyond creating the right “Push-Pull” PLOT/rhythm of your story, you much create a Character who lives beyond the page through your reader. A character must be at once inspiriting, yet believable. Broken yet brave. Willing to go on the “journey” of the story, regardless of personal cost. And, on that journey, he must face his demons, confront his worst fears…and change.
It’s this compelling journey and change that a reader takes with them after the book is finished.
The second step in your journey is diving deep into your character, understanding the key elements that make him tic (We call this the Dark Moment) and weaving this journey subtly into the plot.
We call this Dark Moment Plotting and it is the secret to creating a unique and powerful story.
But without powerful SCENES, your story will go nowhere.
Step 3: Do you have the right SCENE Rhythm and Structure?
The plot is simply the framework; the characters are the players. A great story is revealed scene by scene, in the right rhythm, to give the reader a powerful emotional response (as my friend Randy Ingermanson is known to say.)
Scene rhythm is accomplished by understanding the types of scenes, then understanding how to set them up correctly for powerful execution. A scene must be embedded with the right storyworld, dialogue and action to evoke the emotional response in the character, as well as the reader, it must cause the reader to want to turn the page to the next scene…and it must be shown, not told.
In Step 3, authors must go scene by scene to analyze and fix their stories – much like a designer might design each room in a house to flow together.
But that’s not all.
Step 4: Tell the story in your voice.
Readers are drawn to an author’s voice – the personality plus the prose on the page. Once the story is built, with the correct characters, and the scenes lined up properly, it must be overhauled, word by word, to eek out the author’s voice. This means grappling with grammar principles, and applying word-smithing skills. An author must understand the power of description, how to weave in the right character information (versus backstory), and what overwriting looks like.
They must also learn how to draw out the metaphors to embed the scenes into their reader’s hearts.
We’ll take a look at how to bring your writing from good…to great.
And then it’s time to figure out how to sell that story.
I read an interesting study today.
- Self-Published authors (in this study) earned a median income of $1-$5000.
- Traditionally published authors earned a median income of $5,000-$10,000.
- Hybrid (Traditionally published and self-published authors) earned a median income of $15,000-$20,000.
Source: (http://www.digitalbookworld.com/2013/self-publishing-debate-part3/)
Regardless of where you want to land, you must learn how to sell your book – to publishers, to the public.
Step 5: Make your book sellable.
A sellable book has both an external “stake” – or compelling reason why we care about the story; an internal story-question, or the thematic fuel of the story. An author must know both of these as they put together their proposal (query letter + synopsis + sample chapters). We’ll take a look at these two elements, and how to craft a PITCH, a back cover blurb and the pieces that will make your audience say…Wow! I want that book!
We’ll cover all these elements this year on Monday’s blog – so if you want to stay caught up, I’d encourage you to subscribe to the blog. J (See sign up below).
It’s time to roll up our sleeves at MBT!
Go – write something brilliant!
Susie May