By Kristy McCaffrey
It’s that time of year when writers often decide to sharpen
their skills, test the boundaries of their abilities, and become better at
their chosen craft. I recently had the pleasure of reading Writing With Quiet Hands: How To Shape Your Writing To Resonate With
Readers by author and literary agent Paula Munier (Writer’s Digest Books, 2015),
and I couldn’t resist sharing some of the gems within.
If you’re an accomplished craftsman, the idea of quiet hands
might be familiar. Quiet hands are confident and sure. In writing, inspiration
is often considered the most necessary ingredient but without a mastery of
craft even the most galvanized idea will fall flat.
“The scariest moment is always just before you start.” ~
Stephen King
* * * *
What are the tools of craft in writing? Voice, tone and
style.
Munier says, “With your voice,
you express your truth as a storyteller. With your tone, you communicate the emotion, atmosphere, and mood of your
story. With your style, you
articulate your story and give form to that expression.”
* * * *
A Word On Structure
The right structure for a story is critical to its success.
Choosing the right place—the setting—can make a story shine, or fall flat.
Basically, there’s a beginning, middle and end (the classic three-act
structure). Whether you’re a plotter or a fly-by-your-pants writer, Munier
advises not to overthink this formula. Other considerations: where to enter the
story and where to exit it. Setting a time parameter can help a writer focus on
the necessary events needed to unfold the story. Generally speaking, the
shorter the time frame, the better. The best advice Munier has on structure is
to “know your genre.”
“The debut writers in your genre are the writers you are
competing against. The Sue Graftons and Stephen Kings and J.K. Rowlings of the
world broke out and found their audiences years ago in a marketplace far
different than the one all wannabe best-selling authors face today. They’re not
your competition; they’re way beyond that.”
* * * *
While a common complaint from editors is a lack of
connection with the main character, Munier says the reason she most often stops
reading a story is a lack of narrative thrust. Scenes must build, characters
must be complex, and everything must lead toward a climax. So, make things
happen. In many stories, not enough transpires. Have your protagonist drive
this action. Raise the stakes, with bigger and bigger obstacles. Add a deadline
to enhance the urgency. Don’t overdo descriptions, but also don’t overdo
dialogue. Above all, strive for clarity. Bottom line—pacing is crucial.
But she also stresses the importance of not pulling back on
a first draft. Her advice is to write whatever works and let it take as long as
it takes.
The second draft, however, is a different beast. Munier
describes it as a “...supercharged developmental edit...” It’s here that you
identify themes and weave them into the story, look at the imagery and
symbology of the work, and milk the drama.
Many beginning writers tend to write in chunks—a chunk of
description, then a chunk of backstory, then a chunk of dialogue. Instead,
Munier suggests that each scene be a “tapestry of character, dialogue, action,
backstory, inner monologue, and setting...”
Embrace revision and acquire editing skills. At the very least,
learn to copyedit your own work (spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, typos,
redundancies, inconsistencies, awkward sentences, etc.). You may pay for
copyediting or developmental editing, but as a professional you should learn as
much as you can and apply to your own work before sending it to others.
Things to address in revision:
Character Names—keep them simple and make sure the reader
isn’t confused by similar names
Don’t write in dialect—ever
Tone Down The Hyperbole—don’t write melodrama
Watch Dialogue Tags—stick to ‘said’
Lose The Clichés
Swap Weak Verbs For Strong Ones—weak verbs include all forms
of “to be”
Lose The Adverbs—let the verb do all the work
Use All The Senses
And finally, develop good writing habits: write every day,
have a quiet work space, live a healthy lifestyle. Habit is more dependable
than inspiration.
“Writing is nothing less than a path to enlightenment. The
best writers are the writers whose work is enlightened by experience and
polished by craftsmanship. These are the writers who write with quiet hands.” ~
Paula Munier
