Do You Really Need an Editor for Your Novel or Non-Fiction Book?

You’ve probably read or heard that you should have your manuscript edited. Do you agree or disagree with that statement?

I’ll get to the editing part in a moment. There’s something else to cover first. Something you really need to know, especially if you’re a novice author. You see, it’s the best of times and the worst of times for authors, especially first-timers. The worst is that the traditional publishing industry has been topsy-turvy for a while, and it’s going to be that way until the dust settles, however long that may take and whatever form it takes. It’s the best of times because self-publishing is available for anyone, and, agents and publishers are now reconsidering their opinion about authors who’ve self-published and are selling. The thing you have to ask yourself is which path is the one for you. Or is it both?

There are writers who are adamant about being traditionally published. These are the hearty souls who will wait the two or more years it usually takes to land an agent then a publisher, and to get into print. If they’re really hearty, during this process they start their next book. There are writers who want to get their book out as soon as possible, and maybe they don’t want to travel the trail of traditional publishing, for a variety of reasons, timing and lower percentage of royalties, for example. There are writers who by choice are both traditionally and indie published.

What does this have to do with the question about needing an editor? A lot. If you intend to go traditional, you have to erase the antiquated notion that you send your manuscript, errors and all, to a literary agent who lands a publisher for you, or to a publisher that doesn’t require an agent, and they’ll fix everything for you, excluding theme or plot and character development issues, if there are any, which they’ll expect you to address. An agent expects quality work to be submitted for consideration, for him or her to agree to represent you. A smaller publisher may agree to take you on without an agent, but may or will charge you for editing. A large publishing house expects to do some tweaking, but nothing extensive.

If indie publishing is your chosen route to Authordom, you need to know there’s something of a stigma attached to that, though frequently from writers still trying to get traditionally published. One comment often made about indie books is that the quality is poor; that the author should have worked with an editor. A surprising number of indie authors publish without ever having an editor or proofreader so much as look at their manuscript. Readers will comment if a book is riddled with typos or if a novel’s characters and or plot are not compelling.

So, you need an editor if you intend to go indie and want good or excellent reviews that lead to more sales and build your reader fan base. You need an editor if you intend to submit your manuscript to an agent or smaller publisher so they’ll consider you and possibly sign you on. Here’s another reason you may need or want an editor: You want to improve your skills as a writer. This last one applies if you really love writing, find it fulfilling, and intend to keep on writing. If this fits you, you need to find an editor who includes instruction as part of the editing service, as well as you personally doing what it takes to develop and expand your skills.

You want to find an editor you feel comfortable working with and trust. Let’s assume you’ve found this person who cares about your manuscript almost as much as you do. Now we bump into one of the facts of life about of working with an editor: Monetary investment. It can cost, and you need to be prepared for this. International best-selling author Andrew E. Kaufman had this to say: “An editor with a fresh and critical eye will bring things to your attention you never knew existed, both developmentally and in the line/copy editing. These are people who will help bring a novel to the next level. . . . And for those who say they can’t afford to hire one—I say you can’t afford not to. If you’re serious about selling your book, then this is a step you simply must take.”

There are things you can do first to reduce this expense. You can keep future editing costs down by not engaging an editor to work on a manuscript that needs extensive revision during the editing phase (unless that level of service is what you actually want and are willing to pay for). For example, are you someone who feels pretty darn confident about the creative and technical aspects of writing? Be honest. Whether you are or aren’t confident, maybe what you need is a manuscript evaluation, also called a critique, so you know how well your book is going, creatively and technically. Be sure to find out what the evaluation will provide; you want guidance, not just an opinion.

Maybe you know your skills aren’t what they could be or need to be. Maybe you want to learn how to develop these skills. Maybe you don’t. Maybe you prefer to rely on an editor instead. Only you know how much you’re personally willing to do to get your book into the best shape possible for readers, and what you aren’t prepared or skilled enough to do. Although, after nearly twenty years as an editor, I’ve learned that novice authors, more often than not, don’t know how much they don’t know about writing and revising a manuscript. If you’re skilled at writing non-fiction, these skills do not readily transfer to writing fiction. Fiction is a wholly different arena.

After discussing a new client’s project (his first novel), he told me another editor had said he could edit the still-in-progress manuscript for $300. There are novice authors who believe this is a fair price for editing an 80,000+ word manuscript. It isn’t, and especially not for developmental editing. The client decided to use my services. As we got going with the novel, which he wrote several chapters at a time, and with me as a developmental editor and ghost rewriter (and sometimes ghostwriter, at his request), it became clear to the author that he would never have received the same value and result for $300. Not even close.  

The author chose the indie route. His debut novel received five stars and outstanding reviews from professional reviewers, as well as from readers, with readers becoming self-proclaimed fans begging for the sequel. I don’t like to imagine what level of service or outcome the author would have received for $300. This author has a number of books planned. He wants to improve his writing skills but doesn’t have the time it takes. So he relies on the skills and expertise of his editor. Skilled writers rely on an editor. Every best-selling author works with and relies on an editor.

Whether you need a critique, developmental editing, or ghost rewriting/writing, you want to find someone who provides what will help you accomplish your desired outcome for your book or books. The more intense level of service you need, the more expertise your editor needs to have and the more time and monetary investment it will take. Now I’m going to be frank about this: If you don’t want to pay for a reliable editor but want good results, you must learn what it is you need to know if you intend to continue as a writer who gets the reviews that keep you writing and fans reading. However you get to your goal, it’s a worthy adventure.

I wish you the best with your writing and progress.

Joyce L. Shafer provides services for writers, with a special focus on assisting new and indie authors. Services include Basic and Comprehensive Manuscript Evaluation/Critique and Basic and Comprehensive Developmental Editing, with an option for Ghost Rewriting/Writing services. Her clients say she’s part editor, part teacher, part coach. Learn more about how to make your book one readers rave about at http://editmybookandmore.weebly.com/. 

Common Mistakes New and Indie Writers Sometimes Make

There is a lot to keep in mind when you write a novel, memoir, or other non-fiction book. Enthusiasm is great to have and necessary for getting that first draft and subsequent revisions done. But here are some common issues I frequently see in manuscripts from clients. Are any of them ones you need to watch for?

Let’s look at some technical matters.

Punctuation: Not everyone loves punctuation. Not everyone knows how to use it. If you don’t know how to use it and aren’t inclined to learn, be certain to use the services of an editor or proofreader. A literary agent or publisher wants to see the best copy you can submit. If you self-publish, your readers will appreciate proper punctuation. You see, in real life our hand gestures, vocal intonations, and facial expressions clarify our intended meaning of the words we use. In the written word, punctuation is one way we accomplish this.

And then there’s dialogue. Many writers do not know how to punctuate dialogue. As important as punctuation is in narrative, it is equally important in dialogue.

Fact Checking and Spelling: You can certainly use the spell-check feature, but you still have to make sure the right word is used. If you mean to write “I put my keys right there,” but type “their” or “they’re,” spell-check will only highlight the wrong word if it’s misspelled. The grammar feature may highlight it, but you may not notice it.

When it comes to fact checking, just do it. I’ve seen clients use business or brand names, universities or institutions, song or video titles, and so on, without verifying the correct names, titles, or spellings. With the Internet so available these days (or a phone directory or library reference desk), there’s no reason for this to happen. And you don’t want readers, including agents or publishers, to see that you didn’t go the distance to get such things right. It won’t speak well for you as a writer.

Space between Sentences: When everyone used typewriters, it was necessary to have two spaces between sentences. Now that most people use computers, only one space is needed. In fact, it’s now industry standard. You can also look at this from a monetary aspect: The extra spaces create extra pages. Extra pages cost more to print. A traditional publisher won’t allow it. If you self-publish in print, your cost and cost to readers will be more than it needs to be. Even if you self-publish an e-book, that extra space throughout your text will make the book longer than it should be.

Space between Paragraphs; Indents: I’ve noticed that some e-books don’t indent paragraphs. Instead, they include a space between paragraphs. This isn’t a requirement for e-book formatting, and traditional publishers usually make e-books look like print versions. But I will say that for print, it’s best if you indent each paragraph (5 spaces) and leave out the space between the paragraphs. Again, you can look at the economics of this: extra space equals extra pages that results in extra cost. If you intend to submit to a literary agent or publisher, make sure your paragraphs are indented (including dialogue) and there’s no space between paragraphs. This is what they expect and consider professional.

No Chapters or Too-Long Chapters: Some writers get so excited about writing they forget to use chapters (some forget to use paragraphs). Or they get so into writing they don’t notice how long their chapters are. One client’s first chapter of his manuscript was 42 single-spaced pages. In paperback, that comes out to something like twice that number of pages—way too long for a chapter. Even 42 print pages for a chapter is too long. In times past, when readers didn’t have TV or radio, much less electronic devices, they didn’t mind long books with long chapters. That’s not the way it is today. Readers want pace and punch. And the fact is that if a chapter is only a few to several pages long, or has scene breaks, readers will keep reading to see what happens next.

No Scene Changes or Breaks: When the next scene comes after an interval of “time” has passed since the last scene, or an entirely new scene is presented, this must be indicated to readers.

Mixed Themes/Scenes in the Same Paragraph: Often a writer gets everything down but not necessarily where it best belongs. Each paragraph is a scene unto itself, within a scene. Everything that occurs in the story through narrative or dialogue is to lead to the very next thing that is to or should occur. This holds true for paragraphs.  

Tense: I’ve seen people start out in the right tense then slip out of it. Sometimes the writer starts in the wrong tense and stays there. This usually means the manuscript is written in synopsis form, rather than manuscript form. Example of proper tense, in third-person point of view (POV): Marcus walked to the window and peered at the shadowed form behind the oak tree. Example of improper tense: Marcus walks to the window and peers at the shadowed form behind the oak tree. The first example puts readers into the story. The second example reminds them they’re reading.

Overuse of Words or Use of Incorrect Words: There will be words you cannot avoid using often, but there are words that should not be used more than once in the same sentence or paragraph or even again in the entire story—because they stand out. Example: Marcus suddenly stood, alerted by a sudden noise. He walked to the window and peered out. Suddenly, a shadowed form moved behind the oak tree.

As for incorrect words—if you only think you know what a word means, please look it up in the dictionary to make certain it’s the right word for what you mean to say. I’d say use a thesaurus, which is good advice, but be sure to check the definition of the alternate word or words. One client used a thesaurus to find another word for sensual, found salacious, and kept using it, believing the two words meant exactly the same thing. I knew she likely didn’t know what the alternate word actually meant, because it wasn’t that kind of book. When I provided the definition and asked her if that truly was her intended meaning, she was so very glad I paid attention.

Hyphens: If you aren’t certain whether or not two words require a hyphen, are written as two words, or form one word, the dictionary is the place to go to confirm this. I suggest that unless you have access to a proper reference online, stick with the dictionary. If someone wrote it wrong online, you’ll copy them. You don’t want to do that.

Those were some of the most frequent technical matters I see. Now for several creative issues that crop up often.

Proper Attention to Timeline: Are you familiar with the term “pantser”? Pantsers are writers who write by “the seat of their pants”—meaning they write without planning or an outline. This is not a promotion for outlining, but to bring your awareness onto the necessity of paying attention to what’s happening in the story so that scenes and events are logical and or sequential. Novel writers should have at least these three things on hand, whether created beforehand or as they write: a list of characters, character sketches, and a timeline for scenes and events.

The timeline will help you keep events, and when they happen in time, in proper order. This includes keeping track of hours, days, weeks, months, and years, as needed for the story. Also track the ages of your main characters, the year the story takes place in, and the year or years of any back story instances. If your protagonist is now 40 and you want to use a scene from his high school prom, including a special song he danced to, make certain the song comes from that prom year, rather than a song that didn’t exist at that time. This holds true for any real-life and fictional events used in the story.

Character Development: I mentioned character sketches above. The more you know about your characters the easier it is to write them. You can look up my article about this on this site: “Developing Strong Characters.” I provided what’s needed to create a character sketch, which you should do for each significant character. You want to make them as real to readers as possible. Cardboard characters do not engage readers.

Setting: Give a sense of place for readers. Your characters do not act and speak in a void. They need place. Readers want place. See my article about setting on this site: “The Importance of Setting in a Novel.” Even memoirs and other non-fiction books require setting in some form.

Inconsistencies: You have to watch for these. They can sneak up on you when you’re more involved with writing than with paying attention to what you’re writing. If your protagonist is completely bald, don’t have him run his fingers through his hair.

Keeping It Real: In books like the Harry Potter series and other magical stories, a character that needs a hammer can have one appear out of nowhere. That’s acceptable to readers (believable), because of the type of book it is. If your non-magical detective needs a hammer and “suddenly” has one in his hand, it won’t work. He has to look for or see a hammer nearby and pick it up. Also, figure out how things can happen. Never write something like this: Marcus somehow got out of the locked room.

Recommendations

One solution that can assist every writer with these or other technical and creative matters is this: Read. Read more than you may be reading now. Read to enjoy a book, but also read or reread it with the attention of a writer. One disclaimer: There are a number of differences between American and British writing. This includes some spellings, punctuation, and grammar. Do not mix the two up. Example: Among is the American usage; amongst is British.

Also, understand from the start that manuscript revisions are required. Every best-selling author does revisions. Any new or indie writer who doesn’t understand this or do this does an injustice to him- or herself, the work, and readers. From best-selling author Michael Crichton: “Books aren’t written—they’re rewritten. Including your own. It is one of the hardest things to accept, especially after the seventh rewrite hasn’t quite done it.” One thing that will absolutely assist you is to read your original draft and each revision aloud to yourself. I ALWAYS advise my editing clients to read their revised manuscripts out loud. It makes a huge difference, as this brief article by Wayne Hughes states: http://buildbookbuzz.com/for-reading-out-loud/ .

Writing a book is an adventure. The more you understand about the process and are on board with it, the better experience you have and the better what you’ve written can be.

I wish you the best with your writing and progress.

Joyce L. Shafer provides developmental/substantive editing and book evaluation services, especially but not solely, for new writers. Details about her services, plus her e-book for aspiring and new writers—Write, Get Published, and Promote and her special reports—How to Get an Agent for Your Book or Choose Self-Publishing Instead: Tips, Lists, and More and How to Get Your Book Started: Plan Your Work Then Work Your Plan are available at http://editmybookandmore.weebly.com/ . 

Some Facts about Working with an Editor

If you’ve never worked with an editor and you’re wondering things like what’s involved, how much it will cost, how long it will take, and other such aspects, here are some helpful facts for you to know.  

First, it’s important that you understand what an editor can and should do for you and your manuscript, whether it’s fiction or non-fiction, which includes memoir.

Editors understand that all writing, in the end, involves two people: The writer and the reader, even though others, such as an editor, may be involved in the process. Writers write for a number of personal or professional reasons, but the ultimate desired result should be to do as good a job as possible communicating to readers what the writer intended, whether that’s to inform or to provide a story that entertains or touches readers’ emotions or thoughts. This is where editors come in handy.

Writers have something to say. Yet, they may or may not be as adept at writing as they’d like to be—or think they are. As an editor I’m conscientious of the needs of writers and the rights of readers who have certain expectations. Readers expect content that’s free of typos (as much as possible) and free of any other technical or creative aspects that might negatively affect their reading experience. An editor helps a writer write in a way that holds the attention of readers, rather than distracts readers or discourages them from finishing the book, e-book, or short story.

Although many writers have developed their skills and writing as a craft, we all have trouble at times saying exactly what we mean. We know what we mean to say, but may not accomplish this in the way we hoped. Or maybe we have so much information in our minds, we assume—incorrectly—that others have access to our intended meanings. All writers benefit by caring about the overall quality of their work, which goes way beyond commas being in the right place.

Working with an Editor

Editing styles are as individual as editors are. If you sent your manuscript to three different editors, some editing would be the same and some wouldn’t, because you’re dealing with individuals who have their preferred editing styles. But, there are rules for writing, which exist for good reason, and an editor knows which ones must be followed and which ones can slide a bit—as long as this adds to the content and tone, rather than detracts from it.

And, each writer has a distinctive voice, which must or should be respected. This doesn’t mean that—if you’ll pardon the expression—sloppy writing should be left as is. A good editor can help a writer create clean, crisp sentences and paragraphs AND keep the voice and tone intact. Working with an editor can help you move from talent alone into someone who gains confidence in the craft of writing.

Some common matters editors put their attention on include:

• How the story or content is organized and if it flows well from start to finish
• The “voice” and tone
• Active rather than passive voice (passive voice has its purpose at times, but not as often as some writers use it or misuse it)
• Specific words or sentence construction that may cause confusion
• Tense consistency
• Technical matters such as punctuation, and so on
• Inconsistencies in the story or content
• Basic formatting: indents, no spaces between paragraphs, proper dialogue formatting, only one space between the punctuation mark at the end of a sentence and the first letter of the next sentence, and so forth
• Enough information or plot and character development is provided to fulfill readers’ expectations
• The way the piece ends completes what came before it

Revisions

All authors revise their manuscript, or should, and it usually takes a few or several revisions to get a manuscript into ready-to-go form. I read where one New York Times best-selling author said he often does ten or more revisions before he’s happy enough with his draft to send it to his publishing editor. Not all writers feel that way or require that many revisions. But that author has a point. Many new or uninitiated writers believe one revision (possibly two) should do it. I can tell you from experience that an editor who works on a manuscript that needs substantial revision knows that it will read quite differently once revised. And, it’s possible that the revision, and ones that follow, may (usually do) show what else can be done to improve the manuscript, until it’s the best it can be.

I’ve had clients who went through one round of editing with me, made revisions, but didn’t have me or a proofreader check their work (or had a beta reader go through it and give feedback) before they self-published or submitted to an agent or publisher—and it was too soon to do that. And, although I appreciate when clients include my name as editor in their self-published book, it’s awkward if they publish it with issues I never had the opportunity to assist them to address. Give your editor a chance to help both you, as the writer, and your book, e-book, or short story to shine.

In my nearly 20 years as a conceptual editor, I’ve seen the following—and more:

• Beautiful literary writing (but not often, because that’s not a popular or typical style of writing these days)
• Manuscripts that were one “paragraph,” meaning the writer never created paragraphs
• Stream-of-consciousness writing, with no regard for technical or creative matters or logical content organization
• Really creative writing with fair technical aspects
• Really creative writing with poor technical aspects
• Compelling stories from writers with no grasp of creative or technical aspects
• And I’ve seen all of my clients learn a lot through my efforts and guidance. Some self-publish and some get agents and publishing contracts. A few regular clients don’t worry about technical matters (and to some extent, creative matters), because they rely on me to address them, even down to performing more as a ghost rewriter than as solely an editor.

What about cost?

It’s best if I’m candid with you, because this is important for you to understand. The better writer you are the less will be required from your editor. The less required from your editor the less the cost for his or her services performed on your behalf. A good editor cares about your work almost as much as you do, and works hard to help you make it the best writing it can be. Cost for this service must be anticipated. If budget is a concern, look for an editor who offers a budget-friendly arrangement. This doesn’t mean they’ll charge less for their services, but that they’ll work with you on how and when payments are made.

What about time involved?

Again, it all depends on what the editor finds in the manuscript, as well as the length of the manuscript. Editors need to go through your manuscript twice—or should, the first time they edit your manuscript and every time they work on a revision. One thing you don’t want to do is rush your editor. Your editor must integrate your story or content as a whole, as well as focus on creative and technical matters. This kind of work is comprehensive and gets tiring after several hours. The brain needs to rest and recharge.

Cost for editing is definitely something writers are concerned about and should plan for. They should also plan for how they may feel when their manuscript comes back from the editor, especially the first time. Below are two comments from clients. The first comment is from a first-time writer; the second comment is from a first-time client who is a self-published author who wanted to go the traditional route.

“Thank you for the work you have done on my memoir manuscript. I hadn't realized how much I needed you until I had done my part of the editing process based on your suggestions and guidance. Initially, I glanced at your Technicolor superimposed indictment of my efforts and I was stupefied and rather offended: my book and I were under attack. Almost immediately, I tucked you under my wing to keep you close because you were consistently on target. Working with you has also inspired me to get going on my next book, which will be fiction, as soon as we’re finished with this one.”

“You were able to take my gibberish and convolution of uncoordinated words and transform the manuscript into a tight presentation that attracted three offers for publication. You identified my weaknesses in pacing and character development and taught me how to turn these faults into strengths. My experience with you will give me an improved chance to succeed in this brutal industry.”

When you find an editor you trust and feel comfortable working with, you’ve added someone significant to your team, someone who cares about your work almost as much as you do and is willing to go the distance with you, to make your dream as a writer become your reality.

I wish you the best with your writing and progress.

Joyce L. Shafer provides conceptual editing, book evaluation, and writing coaching services, especially but not solely, for new writers. Details about her services, plus her e-book for aspiring and new writers—Write, Get Published, and Promote and her special reports—How to Get an Agent for Your Book or Choose Self-Publishing Instead: Tips, Lists, and More and How to Get Your Book Started: Plan Your Work Then Work Your Plan are available at http://editmybookandmore.weebly.com/. 

The Importance of Setting in a Fiction or Nonfiction Book

Setting is integral to story, just as the characters and plot/theme are. Setting is about balance: you don’t want to give too little description and you don’t want to overdo it.

Setting is where the story and each scene take place, which you know. But do you grasp that setting can set the tone and mood readers experience, and can reveal and or trigger characters’ moods? You want to give enough (not too much) description for each scene to set the appearance, atmosphere, and mood for readers so they are clear enough in their own minds about the general or specific image you intend for them to have. It may help to create a list or essay description for your scenes (like a character sketch) and keep these handy so you stay consistent throughout the scenes and story.

Give places texture through description. Here’s an example from a James Lee Burke novel:  

“They drove back onto the four-lane and crossed the bridge over the wide sweep of the Atchafalaya River. From the bridge’s apex, Morgan City looked like a Caribbean port, with its palm-dotted streets, red-tiled roofs, biscuit-colored stucco buildings, and shotgun houses fronted by ceiling-high windows and ventilated green shutters.”

As I said, it doesn’t have to be overdone, just give readers something that helps them form an adequate image in their minds and sets mood and atmosphere—and gives them a sense of place.

Here’s another example from a James Lee Burke novel that puts “place” to where his main character lives: 

“I drove home at 5 p.m. and parked my pickup truck under the porte cochere attached to the shotgun house where Molly and I live in what is called the historical district of New Iberia. Our home is a modest one compared to the Victorian and antebellum structures that define most of East Main, but nonetheless it is a beautiful old place, built of cypress and oak, long and square in shape, like a boxcar, with high ceilings and windows, a small gallery and peaked tin roof, and ventilated green shutters that you can latch over the glass during hurricane season.

The flower beds are planted with azaleas, lilies, hibiscus, philodendron, and rosebushes in the sun and caladiums and hydrangeas in the shade. The yard is over an acre in size and covered with pecan trees, slash pine, and live oaks. The back of the property slopes down to the Teche, and late at night barges and tugboats with green and red running lights drone heavily through the drawbridge at Burke Street on their way to Morgan City. At early dawn there is often ground fog in the trees and on the bayou, and inside it you can sometimes hear a gator flopping or ducks wimpling the shallows.”

You want to make the inner and outer landscapes in your story as real as possible for readers. You want readers to feel as if they’ve been there, to feel connection to the story through location. They want to feel this, too. If you intend to or are writing a series with the same character or characters, you will have to describe some settings (and character descriptions) in each book, when appropriate, but with only enough information to give adequate description to new readers and refresh memories for those who follow the series.

A character’s scene setting can influence or reveal something about his or her internal landscape, as well. How you do this is more important than what you use to do it with. Here’s an example from an Elizabeth George novel (British—so spellings of some words are different):

            She parked the Mini with one of its front tyres on the kerb and went to see what the Breakwater had to offer. Not much, she discovered, a fact that other diners must have been aware of, because although it was the dinner hour, she found herself alone in the restaurant. She chose a table near the door in the hope of catching an errant sea breeze should one fortuitously decide to blow. She plucked the laminated menu from its upright position next to a vase of plastic carnations. After using it to fan herself for a minute, she gave it a look-over and decided that the Mega-Meal was not for her despite its bargain price (£5.50 for port sausage, bacon, tomato, eggs, mushrooms, steak, frankfurter, kidney, hamburger, lamb chops, and chips). She settled on the restaurant’s declared specialty: buck rarebit. She placed her order with a teenaged waitress sporting an impressive blemish precisely in the middle of her chin, and a moment later she saw that the Breakwater Restaurant was going to provide her with its own form of one-stop shopping.  [My note: She found a current newspaper with an article she needed to read on the front page.]

Look at the extraordinary amount of information revealed in that paragraph. You get a sense of so many things: what a traditional or culture-based meal might include; approximate time of day; either she’s a poor car parker or didn’t bother about parking better on this occasion (has a lot on her mind, perhaps; but if she does this often, you have a sense of what kind of ride her Mini is and its condition); she picked a place to eat that obviously is not a local favorite (is her choice because of location, unfamiliarity with the area, that’s she’s on a tight budget, is a spendthrift?); it’s hot as heck—she sat by the window, hoping for a breeze; the description of the menu (laminated) and the plastic carnations give visual images and an indication about what kind of place this is (service and food quality); she finds something there she needs other than just something to eat: a current newspaper. Of course, if you read this particular novel or the series it’s part of, you know the answers to the questions in parentheses; but you can see how much information is provided by setting the scene, even in one paragraph.

Always give readers a physical location to “land” in (including an address with a made-up numeral; though, a numeral isn’t always needed, as in the Burke example). You can boost sense of place if you use street names and highway names and their numbers—to make the story more realistic for readers. For example, Rex Stout placed the house of his orchid-growing detective, Nero Wolfe, at an address on West 35^th Street in Manhattan. The number part of the address, if real, would be in the Hudson River, but even though some readers may be aware of this (or not), they can identify with the surroundings or look up the street on a map so they get a sense of the neighborhood and where it fits in the layout of Manhattan. You may also have to make up brick-and-mortar businesses, etc., but keep these as realistically located as possible, if you’re using a real location.

How you handle setting matters because clarity is imperative. Everything you write creates a sequence of scenes in the minds of readers—they are experiencing a number of things simultaneously, so you must present them with information in a proper, reliable order. It’s mind-boggling as a reader (and as a developmental editor) to approach a scene and have the terrain alter from the original image the writer created in your mind as you move through the scene. One client didn’t have a particular scene setting clear in his mind, so just kept adding what he thought would be interesting or challenging for the characters in the scene (I was utterly confused about what the setting was supposed to look like, which I explained to the client). This kind of disorganized, willy-nilly scene creation makes readers (and editors) feel as though they were plucked from a stable environment and dropped into an altered reality. Unless your novel is about altered realities, don’t do this to readers; and if it is, make sure you do this with skill and clarity. Also don’t have what characters need appear out of thin air. Say a character needs a hammer. Unless you’ve set up where the character gets the hammer from, don’t have one appear in his or her hand from nowhere (unless your character is a magician or wizard). Everything has to be logical, even in Science Fiction and Fantasy.

One thing you might do is take photos of exact locations or locations that resemble ones you wish to create or use in your story, including exterior and interior photos (get permission, if needed—but notes can always be made without permission). This way, you have references you can pull from for descriptions and how scenes unfold when the terrain is important to the scene. (Most businesses won’t mind if you give them good promotion in your novel, but they will mind if you don’t—so make one up, if it plays a negative role in the story.)

You want settings to be as clear and real as possible for readers so you maintain the integrity of the story and readers’ ability to follow and connect with the story, scene by scene.

I wish you the best with your writing, process, and progress.

Joyce Shafer

“Editor, Joyce Shafer. What can I say? Simply put, no Joyce, no book. Part editor, part coach, part teacher, Joyce was absolutely phenomenal throughout the entire editing process. Working with Joyce was like taking a graduate course in writing with your all-time favorite teacher and you were the only student. I just can't say enough good things. Allow me a shameless plug for her services. ~ Eric Berbig, Author of The People’s Will

Work with Joyce L. Shafer as your writing coach or developmental editor. Details about her services, including The Chapter-by-Chapter Get-Your-Book-Written Writer’s Incentive Coaching at http://editmybookandmore.weebly.com/