Wednesday's Writer's Tip - Finding Faulty Narrative in Your Story #MFRWauthor #amediting

You've reached the end of your manuscript and you've re-written and revised all those scenes. Before you sent the story off there are several questions to ask yourself.

Is all the information imparted really necessary? Maybe your character has gone on and on about his aunt's cat. Something that has no real part in the story. You might be showing this to let people know a character hates cats but this can be done with a few words. You might have found wonderful historical facts you included but these facts have taken over the story. Instead of a writer you've become a teacher. I've done both these things and while it really hurts to cut all those wonderful words -- Do it.

Does the character who is relating the information know what they're talking about? You may have the character talk about something they haven't observed in a way that makes it seem they were there. Not a good idea. The reader will pick this up and wonder about all else you've put in the book. You might find them going back to see when the character observed something. Just a read through will help discover your focs character is telling things he or she can't possibly know. Take them out and if the info is really important give the scene or the telling to some character who was there.