Writing Real Life Authenticity: Where do you draw the line?

When can you write like ‘real life’ and when do you take the ‘real life’ out of books?

I preach authenticity in writing fiction, but sometimes things that are too ‘real life’ are not right for books. Here’s what I mean:

• Teen speak. Teens have a specific way of talking and interacting with each other, however this does not always translate smoothly to fiction. Know what authenticity to include: diction, habits, friendships etc. And know what authenticity not to include: pop culture references that will date the novel, slang that won’t translate across all reading audiences etc.
• POVs. Use alternate POVs to better inform the reader in new perspectives, not repeat the situation from all angles.
• Coincidence vs. Serendipity. There is a fine line between the two and I’ve touched on it before. Know which happens only in real life, which can be fabricated for fiction and when to avoid the two all together.
• Timing. Timing in books is nothing like real life. Novels need planned and plotted pace, while life moves at its own speed. Never mix these two up. Real life pacing makes for a disastrous novel (read: boring and forgettable) and you can never expect what happens in books to happen to you!
• Characters. All characters in a novel have a purpose for being there. If you introduce a character with no idea why or where they are headed that’s a problem. In real life you come across all types of people that come in and out of your life. Not so in fiction. Even if they are minor characters they should be as 3D as if they were real. Even if the character doesn’t advance plot do they reveal something about another character? Use characters with purpose.
• Setting. Each writer has their own relationship with describing setting. Are you someone that notices the crown moldings on a brownstone? Or are you someone that whizzes through life without reflection on place? Let setting be natural to characters and purposeful. We’ve all had enough pathetic fallacy.
• High stakes. In fiction the stakes must be high and they must be manufactured. It is not often in real life you are presented with the stakes that characters are in novels. This is a significant difference between novels that understand the borders of authenticity. Will the character lose their job if they go for the new job interview not knowing if they’ll get it? Can the character go on a date with a new guy taking a chance on love when they have an unhealthy, but steady relationship with someone else? What will/can the character lose as the plot moves along? (See this blog post for more.)

My Manuscript Evaluation Checklist

With all the submissions I get I use my intuition and my checklist to see how they fare. While it is mostly gut reaction I need the checklist to balance out my feelings so I can best evaluate the content and quality of the material I’m looking at.

I’ve received some great queries lately so if you want to know how to get from the query stage to me interested in taking your work further I share my checklist showing what I look for when I read your work:

• Does the beginning work? Does the ending work?
• Does the plot have good pace, does it make sense, and is it a natural outcome for the premise?
• Do I care about the outcome of the characters?
• Do the characters stick to their traits?
• How many subplots are there? Do they have appropriate attention with what you’ve set out to do in the novel?
• Is the writing of high, lasting quality?
• Is it special? Will it stand out on an editor’s desk and in a bookshop?

“Stories fueled by intentions never reach their boiling point”: Writing advice from Bret Anthony Johnston

Do you write with a strict outline or a loose concept?

While there’s no right or wrong answer there are pros and cons to each strategy. A strict outline can keep your thoughts on track and provide you with motivation even when writer’s block may hit. And a general concept might be too broad and leave you without a narrative arc. However, being strict with your outline can give you tunnel vision and you might be missing out on a new, more truthful path for a character, which is something a loose idea lets you play around with.

Write High-Stakes Tension: Are you too close to your characters?

Are you too close to your characters?

You’ve engendered, given traits, and brought your characters to life on the page. It’s not surprising that writers find themselves attached to their characters and are afraid of putting them into complicated situations.

If you’ve created complex and compelling enough characters they will falter and they will hit obstacles. You’re writing a book not a description of the type of friend you’d like.

Think of the most memorable characters in fiction. Jay Gatsby. Elizabeth Bennett. Holden Caulfield. Lisbeth Salander. None of them are perfect. Perfect characters are 2D and forgettable.

Top 10 Themes, Characters and Genres I’m Looking For In Submissions Right Now

1. The Book Club Book – The Help, Time Travelers Wife, etc. Accessible and well written fiction
2. Pop Science – Time Magazine-esque non fiction (psychology, health, technology etc.)
3. Upmarket Non Fiction – women’s, memoir
4. Women’s Fiction – Elin Hilderbrand, Cathleen Schine, Jodi Picoult
5. Adult Fiction – characters over 30 years of age

Backstory and Foreshadowing: are you showing or telling?

Backstory is crucial to building a relationship between the reader and the material. This allows the reader feel like they know the character like a friend: the anecdotes, stories, likes and disappointments the characters have gone through as though the reader has been privy to that information like a confidant. It seems easy enough, but there are a number of questions to ask yourself about your characters and plot planning: