Hello, writers. I just sent in the final-before-copyediting draft of a historical novel I’m doing for Random House. It’s called Starting From Seneca Falls and is being timed to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the women’s suffrage amendment, which is next year.
Most of this revision was involved things the editor had asked me to do, but I added a couple throughlines last night on my own account.
Although reading a whole lot is important when you’re teaching yourself to write, there are some things that we can’t pick up just from reading. I had to have throughlines explained to me by the editor who acquired my first novel.
Essentially, every aspect of character and plot is going to be dealt with repeatedly over the course of a novel. Each needs its own throughline. In this case, one of my main characters has just lost her mother and the other has a father who is missing at sea. This isn’t something that can just be dropped into the story and forgotten. The characters are going to keep thinking about it. Their feelings about it have to be dealt with.
If I hadn’t added the throughlines, readers would have noticed. They might not have noticed what it was they were noticing. They might have said “the characters lack depth” or “the characters aren’t believable.”
Of course, they might still say that, but at least I’ve done all I can.
Tonight’s challenge:
Your character is riding on a train. (Or whatever conveyance suits the time and world you prefer to write in.) As s/he looks out the window, s/he sees something that makes her think, just briefly, about a problem, loss, or fear that’s very much on her mind.
Try to limit yourself to 150 words.
Write On! will be a regular Thursday feature (8 pm ET 5 pm PT) until it isn’t. Before signing a contract with any agent or publisher, please be sure to check them out on Preditors and Editors, Absolute Write and/or Writer Beware.