Four things I watch for 👀

Kia ora!

How is your memoir coming along this week?

I’ve been editing a few great books lately. They’re written by everyday people who, when you dig just below the surface, have lived extraordinary lives.

When I’m reading over a well written draft, there are many things I look for. I wanted to tell you about four things I check for in a draft story, in case you’re wondering what to be careful of, as you write your book.

Readability – I’m asking myself if this makes sense and if it will make sense to future readers who don’t know the author? Are there assumptions being made here? For example, are people being referred to, who haven’t yet been introduced? Are phrases being used that are old fashioned and don’t make sense to younger readers? And overall, does the story make sense and flow easily for the reader?

Consistency – Every publication has its own style of writing and punctuation. You’ll have your own style that you’ve picked up over the years. Students on my memoir course get access to the one I use, and the key thing is to stick to the same style all the way through. For example, did you know that these days we don’t do two spaces after a full stop, but one? That was an old rule for the typewriting days. However, a few book clients of mine have decided they’d prefer to maintain that old style, and so we are, but the key thing is I’m keeping that rule consistent throughout the whole story.

Repetition – In the first draft, hopefully you’ve let your story flow and not worried too much about repetition. We all do it. But when you go back through it, it’s time to start looking for parts of your story where you’ve said the same thing (though maybe in a different way). Delete those parts. Repetition can be quite off-putting for the reader.

Interesting hooks – Are you taking care of your reader by starting your chapters or sections with interesting lines or short paragraphs. This is called a hook, as in ‘hooking in your reader.’ As a journalist I used them frequently. You can do the same in your memoir. And you can entice your reader to move onto the next chapter too, by hinting at something interesting to come in the next chapter. As a photo journalist mentor once said to me “it’s about looking at the ordinary in an extraordinary way.” Can you start your chapter in an unexpected, interesting way?

I hope these help.

Keep writing!

Charlotte

PS next week I’m hosting our monthly memoir gatherings in three different places – Motueka, Golden Bay and online. We’ll talk about ‘how to quote’ and students will share half a page of their stories for encouraging feedback. At the online session, author and student of my memoir course Mike Brown, will share the story of the life his first book A Boy’s Journey has taken on, since we published it. You’re welcome to join us at any of these sessions, by enrolling in my year-long programme Write Your Memoir (I’ve extended the autumn discount).