Tips for Underwriters
Do you suffer from finishing your book, but only having 160 pages?
Do you feel like your book is not as in-depth as it could be?
Introducing Editing!
This amazing program that will consume your life can be very, very helpful--if you know how to use it properly.
So, without further-ado, I give you:
Now, I myself am an underwriter. I come up with the idea for my story, write it down in paragraph form, all of it being one big long run-on sentence, and then I write it. I don't plot it out, I don't try and figure out what chapter should have what in it. I just speed right on through, starting and ending chapters where I feel they should start and end. But that can pose questions:
Is my book long enough?
Do I need to add more in to fill out the story?
Did I write it as best as it can be?
So, to answer these questions and give a few tips, here we go!
Before I delve into the tips, you need to take a step back and look at your manuscript. Does it even need to be lengthened? It is very possible that your story isn't a big novel, or even a novel at all. It could be a novella. You don't have to make it longer. But if you feel it does need to be longer, here are some tips.
When lengthening scenes or chapters, writers have the tendency to add things with no connection to the plot or any of the subplots. However, this is a slippery slope. There are many times in my book where I've added what some of my betas consider "filler scenes". But with each scene, I have a legitimate reason for it to be there.
I have an entire chapter that contains nothing but my characters having fun on New Years. It seems like it has nothing to do with the plot. But the reason I added it is to deal with one of my subplots, which is Harper never having a real family.
In summary, be careful. Know when you're adding to a subplot, and know when you're just filling in random stuff. Because while the story will bump up your page/word count, it will make it a lot slower.
Sometimes when writers go to write dialogue, that is all they write. We tend to forget the fact that these characters that are speaking have bodies, hands, and faces. We may see them moving and speaking in our heads, but we forget to add the movements and gestures and everything onto the page. After all, while we write we see our characters in our heads. But when readers read what we write, they don't see what we saw. They only see what's on the page, or they imagine the characters saying it in a different way. In order to accurately portray what our characters are doing/thinking while they're speaking, we need to add descriptions.
We all know this, but it's a good thing to keep in mind.
One way to lengthen your novel is to describe things (like I mentioned in number two). But there's more than just gestures. Describe scenes, settings, etc. Don't say:
Even though it is spring, it is cold.
Instead, try:
The warm thaw of spring has an icy chill to it that should have been gone weeks ago.
Not only will it help your reader visualize it and be drawn in easier, it also will add words to your word count and pages to your manuscript.
And remember: don't just describe the setting and gestures your character makes. Describe the characters themselves. There's a lot more to it than just eye color, hair color, skin color, and height. Describe their nose, the way they carry themselves–you can even describe the way their ears stick out. All of this adds to the experience of the book, and it helps your reader become more invested in it.
Subplots add depth. They help you get to know your character better, and they add more interesting things to the story. Each character can have an arc that ties in differently with each subplot, adding difficulty to our job (writing) but overall making a more enjoyable experience for the reader.
I often find that one of the reasons my manuscript is short (chapter wise) is because I have chapters that are forty pages long. Slice them up, add transition scenes. Often this makes you realize holes in the plot that you can fill up as you divide them into chapters.
This is pretty self explanatory. Oftentimes underwriters tend to rush through their plot. Go back through, add in the rising actions and such that you might have missed. Check the hero's journey chart (or video) to see if there's anything you missed or can add in to make it a more complete story.
And, that's about it! I will also be doing a post for Overwriters in the near future. In the mean time, I hope this helped all you underwriters out there!
~Olivia Ann
Do you feel like your book is not as in-depth as it could be?
Introducing Editing!
This amazing program that will consume your life can be very, very helpful--if you know how to use it properly.
So, without further-ado, I give you:
Now, I myself am an underwriter. I come up with the idea for my story, write it down in paragraph form, all of it being one big long run-on sentence, and then I write it. I don't plot it out, I don't try and figure out what chapter should have what in it. I just speed right on through, starting and ending chapters where I feel they should start and end. But that can pose questions:
Is my book long enough?
Do I need to add more in to fill out the story?
Did I write it as best as it can be?
So, to answer these questions and give a few tips, here we go!
Before I delve into the tips, you need to take a step back and look at your manuscript. Does it even need to be lengthened? It is very possible that your story isn't a big novel, or even a novel at all. It could be a novella. You don't have to make it longer. But if you feel it does need to be longer, here are some tips.
1: Don't Add Filler-Content
When lengthening scenes or chapters, writers have the tendency to add things with no connection to the plot or any of the subplots. However, this is a slippery slope. There are many times in my book where I've added what some of my betas consider "filler scenes". But with each scene, I have a legitimate reason for it to be there.
I have an entire chapter that contains nothing but my characters having fun on New Years. It seems like it has nothing to do with the plot. But the reason I added it is to deal with one of my subplots, which is Harper never having a real family.
In summary, be careful. Know when you're adding to a subplot, and know when you're just filling in random stuff. Because while the story will bump up your page/word count, it will make it a lot slower.
2: People Move When They Speak
Sometimes when writers go to write dialogue, that is all they write. We tend to forget the fact that these characters that are speaking have bodies, hands, and faces. We may see them moving and speaking in our heads, but we forget to add the movements and gestures and everything onto the page. After all, while we write we see our characters in our heads. But when readers read what we write, they don't see what we saw. They only see what's on the page, or they imagine the characters saying it in a different way. In order to accurately portray what our characters are doing/thinking while they're speaking, we need to add descriptions.
3: Show, Don't Tell
We all know this, but it's a good thing to keep in mind.
One way to lengthen your novel is to describe things (like I mentioned in number two). But there's more than just gestures. Describe scenes, settings, etc. Don't say:
Even though it is spring, it is cold.
Instead, try:
The warm thaw of spring has an icy chill to it that should have been gone weeks ago.
Not only will it help your reader visualize it and be drawn in easier, it also will add words to your word count and pages to your manuscript.
And remember: don't just describe the setting and gestures your character makes. Describe the characters themselves. There's a lot more to it than just eye color, hair color, skin color, and height. Describe their nose, the way they carry themselves–you can even describe the way their ears stick out. All of this adds to the experience of the book, and it helps your reader become more invested in it.
4: Subplots and Arcs
Subplots add depth. They help you get to know your character better, and they add more interesting things to the story. Each character can have an arc that ties in differently with each subplot, adding difficulty to our job (writing) but overall making a more enjoyable experience for the reader.
5: Slice Up Chapters
I often find that one of the reasons my manuscript is short (chapter wise) is because I have chapters that are forty pages long. Slice them up, add transition scenes. Often this makes you realize holes in the plot that you can fill up as you divide them into chapters.
6: Does The Plot Progress to Quickly?
This is pretty self explanatory. Oftentimes underwriters tend to rush through their plot. Go back through, add in the rising actions and such that you might have missed. Check the hero's journey chart (or video) to see if there's anything you missed or can add in to make it a more complete story.
And, that's about it! I will also be doing a post for Overwriters in the near future. In the mean time, I hope this helped all you underwriters out there!
Are you an overwrite or an underwriter? What are some things you like to do when you edit? Any tips you can contribute for either?
~Olivia Ann
Thank you so much for this post! I am such an underwriter. I hate adding extra things that aren't necessary.
ReplyDeleteLOVE THIS POST SO MUCH << I am such an underwriter, and am struggling with this right now as I work on my WIP. awesome post, Olivia!
ReplyDelete<3 <3