- Build up the conflict. There should be conflict in every chapter. It could be teeny tiny, like a moment of self doubt within the hero. Or ginormo, like when the hero finally confronts the villain. It could be in the beginning of the chapter, at the end (gotta love those cliffhangers to keep readers turning the pages) or sandwiched somewhere in-between. But there must be continual conflict to keep the story going.
- Build up the character. Who wants to read a story if they don't like a character? I've realized I didn't fully understand a character's motivation in my first draft. But by understanding where they're coming from and making that clear, wow does that change the story! And this part is hard, but I've had to build up my characters by not being so nice to them. I mean, I love these characters, I created them. But if nothing bad happens to them, they don't grow and change and it's rather boring. So I had to consider, what is my character's worst fear? And then BAM! I have to make it happen. Or at least the threat of it happen. Hard to do but so worth it for the story's sake. And the characters. ;)
- Build up the pacing. And I do that through building up the conflict and building up the character and balancing that with describing everything. It's all about balance while moving forward. Hard to explain but super important if you want a compelling story. Which is what I'm trying to write.
A manuscript is a little piece of dirt in a shell and every time you cut and change entire scenes you are adding a layer of polish and shine. And each revision is leading you closer and closer to that finished pearl. Yes, sometimes it's dull, but sometimes it's very exciting to see the story get molded into a better, shinier, more intriguing story.
Best of luck writing friends!
