Probably the most common problem I see in writing (both my own and others') is not telling enough of the story. I have the vision of my character in my head. I know who she is. I know what she looks like. I know why is acts the way she does. Some stuff is obvious to me. But it's not to my readers if I don't describe it. I can be a very rushed writer. I have the ideas and need to get them out as fast as I can. That's not bad, but it means that I need to go back and add in any missing information. Then, when I have a draft I have read over, I give it to David and my sister. They read over it. David will ask me questions about character development and tell me how he envisioned certain characters. Katie will tell me where I rushed over the description of the book and give me suggestions for how to enhance the story. To the writers reading this, find these people. The ones who will not passively read your manuscript and tell you it's good. I have read too many published books where I have felt the book needed another set of eyes. Ones where the motivation for a character was lacking or where support characters had not unique features and were interchangeable.
My advice for this week: Make sure the story and characters in your head get on the page.
Do that by the following:
-get a pack of note cards. Each time a character or place is introduced, write the name on one side. And on the reverse side, write the words used to describe that place or character. Might seem tedious, but it will help with consistency and as a check that you described everything.
-when reading ask why this is happening. Why does the hero continue on his quest and not go back home when conflict arises? Why would two characters be friends if they seem to be an odd pairing? How would a character react to hearing certain dialogue? These are questions readers may be asking themselves when they are reading. When you ask the questions, make sure your book answers them.
-get readers to read your book and concentrate on development. Yes, typos will annoy the reader, but so will an underdeveloped story.
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