Potholes aren’t usually a problem here in Matthews, North Carolina.
That’s because we’ve been in a drought for years–there wasn’t any moisture on the roads to cause any potholes.
Now, of course, we’re caught in some crazy monsoon pattern and my simple suburban drive to the store is now a treacherous route embedded with potholes that seem to reach down to China. And somehow, I never realize they’re there until I’m in one.
My first drafts are just as susceptible to potholes.
Things I look out for when revising:
Character Issues: Are there any secondary characters that need more depth? Are the characters all clearly different from each other? Do they have realistic motivation? Do they stay in character?
Plot issues: Is the plot fairly linear? Does it make sense?
Conflict: Is the conflict strong enough to power the plot? Is the conflict major or is it just a minor misunderstanding that could easily be resolved? Is there both internal and external conflict?
Scenes: Are they necessary? Do the scenes impact the main plot or the subplot?
Mechanics: Check for word repetition (I know my favorite words that need to be cut.) I read aloud for sentence and word flow. Is something awkwardly constructed? I look for typos and spelling. Are the dialogue tags okay? (For me this means I might not have enough tags to attribute the speaker. For others it might mean that tags or adverbs should be cut.)
Pace: Is the story moving fast enough? Too fast?
Voice: Did I maintain it? Are there sections that sound flat?
Beginnings and endings: Will the beginning hook readers? Is the ending satisfying and have I tied up all the loose ends?
Timeline errors: Are the events of the story in order?
Continuity errors: Is someone wearing one outfit at the beginning of the scene and something different by the end of the scene (without changing clothes?) Does it change from day to night and back again in the course of a page?
One more thing about the potholes here in Matthews. They’re allowed to happen. There’s no road crew perched at the side of the road in an asphalt truck, filling holes as they appear.
Instead, the prevailing attitude here seems to be that they wait until the rainy spell is over and then they fill all the holes at once.
Either way, whether they’re fixed as they open or after a whole minefield of them has sprung up, the potholes do all get filled.
ELizabeth – I’m glad I’m not the only one with potholes in my first drafts. I find that most of my potholes (love that analogy, by the way) are fleshing out my characters enough and having enough depth in my scenes. I think that’s because I have a background of scholarly writing where those kinds of details that really make a novel powerful just aren’t included. I have had to teach myself to add more depth.
Great analogy! Potholes are teeth-jarringly obvious when you find yourself in one. Fortunately, the manuscript variety are usually easy to fix. Usually.
I’m going to keep a copy of your post as a good checklist to remind me of everything to watch out for. Thanks!
mysterywritingismurder.blogspot.com; You saved my day again.
I love the analogy. As always a very interesting post that causes one to look at things from a different angle.
I’m more of a ‘fix as you go’ writer. I know I’ll miss some, but I’d rather get them patched while they’re small enough to deal with. And by being aware of them, maybe I can have fewer as the draft progresses.
Aren’t potholes normal in first drafts?
One thing as a reader that I want is a hook me in beginning and a satisfying ending. That’s what I want to write as well.
Great information.
potholes are a perfect analogy for first drafts. Mine was full of them
karen
You have me wondering what I’ve allowed to happen (in a good way). Thanks!
Isn’t this crazy–no rain and now there’s too much. Such irony.
My first drafts are definitely full of “plotholes.” Then I back up the road construction machinery and take care of the not-so-little buggers. Hopefully no one gets injured too badly.
Great analogy Elizabeth. I know it’s wise to wait until the rain is done before repaving, but dammit, I want sooooo bad to fill those suckers as soon as I see them. I’ve since learned to just make a note of them and move on.
Thanks for the post.
My writing tires are constantly in danger of running into potholes! In fact, I’ve hit every single one that you mentioned :) But I find that I’m learning more and more what to avoid and how to avoid them, so maybe next time I will see them coming. Thanks for the tips!
My outlines tend to help me avoid having too many potholes, but they will show up from time to time. The trick is finding them and then filling them in – with the same mixture as the rest of the road so they become part of a seamless street.
I’m supposed to have a plot? It’s supposed to be linear?
Now you tell me.
I can’t imagine there’s a writer anywhere who doesn’t have to take care of the potholes. Everyone does. If you overlook them or decide they’re covered by rain and no one will see them, you’re wrong. Thanks for another great post.
Helen
Straight From Hel
You have this wonderful ability to come up with the greatest analogies!
The more I read your posts, the more evident it is that you have a very well-thought-out, tried-and-true method of writing. From beginning to end, it’s like a well-oiled machine.
Margot–I think going from academic writing to novel writing would be TOUGH. Like journalism, there just isn’t usually any real meat there…it’s all edited out. It was an adjustment for me to go from writing magazine features, etc, to novel writing, too.
Lorel–Usually they are really easy to take care of. The worst revisions are probably when we’re asked to change something about the protagonist…because they’re right there on every page!
Anonymous–Well, thanks. :)
Mason–Thanks so much!
Author Guy– Well, SORT of linear. :) In some cases (the movie “Memento” comes to mind) that means writing the book backwards but backwards in a straight line. For my books? There shouldn’t be a lot of flashbacks, flash-forwards, circuitous plotlines…it should be more straightforward. But I’m writing cozy mysteries.
Helen–I think if a writer THINKS they’ve written a completely clean manuscript the first time around, then there’s something majorly wrong..with the manuscript or the writer!
Crystal–Thank you! You’ve made me feel better…I got some revisions in from my agent and it’s always a little deflating! But the things were easy enough to fix, fortunately.
Terr–Well, and that’s true–depending on the pothole. I think plot holes where we’ve written ourselves into a corner are easier to fix right then and there.
Teresa–My first drafts are usually a disaster area! The one I’m writing now is a LITTLE better than usual (maybe I’m getting better with practice.)
Yeah, just recently, I was going over my time line on my last WIP and noticed that things were happening too quickly, so in my next round of edits, I have to give the characters some breathing time.
ann
Great summary of the process. The more you can catch on your own first pass, the less work you’ll have to do when another person reads for the first time. Isn’t it funny how we all have bad habits that we slip into time after time? And how many of us share the same bad habits?
Great summary.
– Liz
Once again you offered a great comparison as well as a super list of potential potholes to look for during revision time. I’m printing it off for future reference.
Ann–Fast pace is one of those things that seems like it *should* be a good thing…but often makes me, as a reader, feel either lost, rushed, or tense. It happens with movies, too–I remember watching “Jurassic Park” and thinking that there was no breathing room. I felt stressed out during the whole movie.
Karen–Mine too! Sometimes I wonder what I was doing when I was writing that stuff…
Liz–You’re so right. I do try to eliminate most of the big problems so my first readers won’t get too frustrated with me!
Jane–Thanks! Hope it helps.
True story: one time, on a major interstate, going about 75 mph, a car in front of me hit a massive pothole and a chunk of metal flew off of its undercarriage and bounced underneath my vehicle. I heard a whang!, then the whole truck started shaking. When I pulled over to look underneath the truck, I noticed that the driveshaft had been bent by the impact. Really? The driveshaft? I didn’t even know that could bend! Needless to day, I ended up waiting a long time by the side of the road for a tow truck.
How does this apply to my fiction? It doesn’t. I just thought I’d share. Have a nice day, Elizabeth… :)
Simon! Good Lord. Now I’m really scared. Think I’ll call the Town of Matthews and complain about our potholes. Of course, they’ll tell me it’s the state’s problem. So I’ll call the DOT. And they’ll tell me it’s the town’s problem. So I’ll call them back. And they’ll promise me it’s North Carolina’s problem…
Excellent advice. One of my problems when revising is finding a pothole (the good part) and then overworking it (the bad part).
Fixing a pothole is good. Filling it too full and creating a speedbump is not.
It doesn’t have to be a disaster, though. Since I know my tendencies to overwork, when I see that I’m in the middle of some major road construction, I make sure to save a new version. Then, when I’m done, I check the new section against the parts that come before and after to ensure that it all flows together.
Thank you!
I’m in edit mode now, and here’s a whole bunch of things in list form. I’m printing and putting in the red folder on my desk.
Kristen–It’s feast or famine, isn’t it?
Alan–I think I’ve injured some first readers along the way… :)
S. C.–I just leave them, too. I’m writing a post for tomorrow on when I *don’t* leave them (usually it’s a major content problem).
Julie–I seem to run into them, too! This last draft seems to be my best first draft yet, but it’s my 5th one. And it’s still a mess!
Julie–Good point! Because maybe it’s something that just needs a little tweaking…and we’ve dumped a bunch of asphalt at it. Unless it’s a major plot point, it just needs a *little* work usually. Otherwise it turns into filler.
Elspeth–And that’s definitely a plus about outlining–you have more direction. I’m with you on the filling in–we don’t want to overdo it, for sure.
You’ve made a good check list!
And all I can think about is that commercial of the pothole with a southern drawl…
Potholes are prevalent in Indiana. It’s the extremes in temperatures that create havoc with the roads. Fortunately, if your car is damaged by a pothole encounter in Indiana, you can file a request with the state to get reimbursed for the damages.
I don’t know that potholed fiction would be so lucky. Your tips are wonderful, as always! Word repetition is one of the flaws I’m working on improving.
I like that. When I finish this draft I’ll enjoy looking for potholes, and blame them on the moisture.
I find choreography to be my biggest challenge. My critique group is constantly finding mistakes in my work there – because I can’t ‘see’ the scene. I literally have to get up and act it out to find all my inconsistancies. :)
Corra
from the desk of a writer
Alex–I don’t know that one! I’ll check it out on YouTube. :)
Shelia–It’s the snow’s fault!
Corra–Acting it out sounds like a good way of getting the idea across. I try to play the scene like a movie in my head.
Carol–You’re welcome. :) Hope it helps. I’m doing a post tomorrow that’s more of the same…well, sort of.
Stacy–Oh, that definitely makes sense. We don’t usually get too extreme with our temps here. Except lately, of course. :)
Word repetition is really common, isn’t it? I definitely have my favorite words that I overuse. I’m working on it, but still have to go back later and do a search.