Wouldn't it be fantastic if the first version of your manuscript was perfect? Ah... fantasies. The truth is writing is rewriting. As many times as needed to make your ms shine. Before you send your baby out to agents or editors, risking rejection, hurt feelings (and we all suffer those), try the following: Put your ms aside for a week at least. Then read over, asking yourself: Does the first chapter have the seeds for future action? Are the protagonists clearly identifiable? Does the action start and keep going? Does each scene, from beginning to end of the book, have a purpose: a beginning, middle and end? Is your dialogue vivid and true to each character? Is there logic to your plot? Does each scene and plot point happen as a result of some previous action? This is not necessarily plod, plod along action, but does action follow a character's thoughts, words or deeds? Is there an emotional intensity to your characters? Do you care about your characters? If you don't, who will? Is the conflict real and believable? Not the sort that can be handled in a conversation, but a real difference in core beliefs that drives both internal and external situations. Is there sufficient motivation for the characters to resolve these basic belief differences? As the book progresses, are minor conflicts set up and resolved, giving the main protagonists the emotional energy and confidence to tackle the bigger ones? Are your punctuation and grammar correct? Check you spell-check program. No matter how I try, I can't get mine to realize that when I write form, I usually mean from. Does the ending resolve all the minor differences as well as the major plot points? In other words, is the reader going to trip over all the loose ends? Finally, does your ending have what I call the "aahh" factor? Is this a satisfying conclusion, one the reader will remember? This is a fantastic way of creating a fan base. If the reader has an emotional identification with your characters and the future you create for them, chances are very good that s/he will read your next book. When you've answered these questions, shored up your weak spots, and spit-polished your ms, then give it a pat on the back and send it out into the world. There's no guarantee that an agent or an editor will love it and take it on, but you will know that you've given your baby your best shot at success. Good luck and keep writing! Let me know how these tips work for you. Send me a note via the Contact Me page. Or, you can post a note on my Yahoo message board: Subscribe to bonniehamre Powered by groups.yahoo.com Web Design by Bel Oso Productions All contents Copyright © 1995 - 2006. All rights reserved.