I’ve come to realize if something doesn’t seem right, it probably isn’t. I just finished a rewrite of one chapter; which, I now know, didn’t move the story forward. That knowledge is hard to come by for the writer, but so critical to the editor’s eye.
Deleting back-story left me with a tighter chapter, but it’s difficult when the characters are familiar and the incidents mean so much to you, (hence, the exercise from Week 8 is so critical!)
Here are three questions every writer must ask:
1. Does this chapter move the story forward?
2. Is this chapter important enough to keep?
3. Does this chapter make me want to turn the page?
If you can answer “yes,” to all three questions, you’ve got a keeper. If not, it’s back to the drawing board…or in this case, BIC.
About Me
- Sandi
- Sandi Underwood was born a PK (Preacher’s Kid) in the beautiful East Tennessee Mountains, where family stories were passed down, generation-to-generation. Her love of writing was cultivated at an early age when family get-togethers and Church dinners-on-the-grounds provided an idyllic backdrop for memories that fuel her stories. Sandi’s early career included working with children in both the public and private sectors. Later in life, her path took a different direction, but her love of books was ever-present. Today, she shares a home with her rescue dog, Gus, and draws inspiration from her grandchildren as she continues to write for both children and adults. Learn more at www.sandiunderwood.net and track her writing journey at www.sandiu.blogspot.com, follow her on Twitter @SandiGCY, and like her Facebook page at Sandi Underwood/gcywriter or email her at sandiu@comcast.net.
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