Wednesday's Writer's Tip - Revision and the Story Question #MFRWauthor

The story is finished and you've written the end. Now comes the time for revision and polishing. They are  two different things so we'll look at revision first. There are a lot of things revision involves.

Looking at the story line. Does it follow through from beginning through the middle to the end. Have you jumped the tracks and suddenly the story becomes convoluted enough to confuse the reader? Have you shown the story question in early enough and can this be answered with a yes or no? How this is done is important. Can Joe prove he didn't kill his wife is one kind of question that falls into the yes or no kind of story question. Can Laura find love is too broad and is one of the maybe kind of answers. Can Laura convince Joe she's worthy of being loved is a better one and calls for a yes or no conclusion.

Look at the scenes and see which have an impact on the story. If they don't have a meaning that goes toward the ending of the story, cut them out. See if the scene drives the character forward with their present actions or points the need to find a new way to solve their problem.

Come to the concluding scene and check to make sure the question is answered either yes or no. Make sure the characters actions and reactions are what brings the story to a satisfactory end. There's nothing worse than someone stepping in at the end to solve the story question for the focus character.

Look for the loose ends and see that they're tied up. Nothing worse than having a loose end flapping when the story ends leaving the reader with questions.