Fiction Checklist Handout

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  Recently, I gave an impromptu workshop concerning a Writer’s Checklist. Please visit my basic handout, which we worked through. It is not self-explanatory, rather notes on editing your fiction work. I ran through the list briefly at the workshop, complete with Q&As.

Q&As are the best when presenting any instructional program. This is where the experienced writer may find holes in their program. Or skip over tidbits they’ve forgotten.

But on to my Checklist. And I hope you’ll visit my other articles at my website, such as Plotting. This blog is stuffed with writerly posts. See Writers Stuff and especially Writers Survival Guide.

In editing/revamping my early material, I’m finding errors so common to writers, such as writing he/she/he/she, etc. He/She need to be broken occasionally by real names.

You’ll get the idea from the Checklist.

But today’s writer, especially those formatting their own work, needs to be aware of the length of sentences, compared to the width of a small screen. For example: if you have a long word, joined by an em dash, then another long word, that may take up the whole line on a small screen.

Factoid: Writers are inventive. See my photo on a cover, The Wedding Gamble, which is only 2.99 for a limited time.

The em dash and ellipses, etc. can present problems when viewed on a small screen. Deep thought, huh? But complicate that word-em dash-word with one or two words on either side and you could have an extremely short line and a whole line required for the em dash, i.e.:

If you take a

hypothetical—obviously 

radical—dimensional

problem, it could be involved.

My point: Visual is a consideration in small screen presentation that has to be reckoned with—or not. Depending on the individual.

Meanwhile, paper print basic puncuation remains the same. So, two standards, maybe?

Even major publishers, with professional formatters, have a problem with adjusting to what is what and changing standards. One publisher has some ebooks that the left margin starts in the middle of my Kindle. Only a few words are allowed in the sentence, before the right side return.

In my workshop, I added body positions. !If you can get a book or a class on reading body language, it will help infuse your characters with telling postures.

Please do visit my Checklist handout? Of course, it's only an outline, but worth considering....