- Why am I writing about THIS world? What is so special about it that you have to write about it? That needs to be conveyed so your reader picks up on your vision and runs with it too.
- Why is this character the way they are? This can provide useful backstory. It can also keep you on track for this character's development through the story.
- Could the character be better portrayed? If say your character's main trait is stubbornness, and so far you're showing this in dialogue because they're arguing for all they're worth (!), could you have some scenes where the reader will see the character being awkward?
- Have I really got the right characters in the right roles for this story? Sometimes a character really does spring to life and starts to dominate the story. This can be wonderful but it can wreck your tale. A too dominant character in a story about getting along with others could work (it could make a great comic tale) but equally could ruin it.
- Does this piece work better as flash fiction, standard length short story or a novel? Ensure your characters and plot don't go beyond what works for what you've got. Padding is spotted!
Good journalists are renowned for asking the awkward questions, the ones that make politicians and the like squirm, and long may they continue to do so. As writers, we should ask awkward questions but of ourselves. My suggestions would include:-
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AuthorI'm Allison Symes and write fairytales with bite, especially novels and short stories. Archives
October 2019
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