How to write manuscript If you submit manuscripts to publishers or agents, youve probably come across the demand that

you use standard manuscript format (or SMF) for your submissions. However, it isnt always spelled out what this actually means. Generally speaking, the term indicates that you should format your document with the following guidelines in mind: Type your document, dont write it. Use a single, clear font, 12 point size. The best to use is Courier or Courier New. At the very least, ensure you use a 12 point, serif font and not something like Arial. Use clear black text on a white background. If you are printing out your submission (rather than submitting it electronically), use good quality plain white paper and print on only one side of each sheet. Include your name and contact information at the top left of the first page. Put an accurate word count at the top right. Put the title half-way down the page, centred, with by Your Name underneath. Start the story beneath that. If you write under a pseudonym, put that beneath the title but your real name in the top left of the first page. Put your name, story title and the page number as a right-justified header on every subsequent page, in the format Name/Title/Page Number. Generally, you can also just use a key word from your title and not repeat the whole thing on each page. Left-justify your paragraphs. Right margins should be ragged. Ensure there is at least a 1 inch (2 centimetre) margin all the way around your text. This is to allow annotation to be written onto a printed copy. Use double spacing for all your text. Dont insert extra lines between your paragraphs. Indent the first line of each paragraph by about 1/2 inch (1 centimetre). If you want to indicate a blank line, place a blank line, then a line with the # character in the middle of it, then another blank line. Dont use bold or italic fonts or any other unusual formatting. To emphasise a piece of text you should underline it. Put the word End after your text, centred on its own line.

If you are submitting on paper, dont staple your pages together. Package them up well so that they wont get damaged and send them off. Its always worth checking the exact requirements of any market you submit to, but if they dont specify any formatting requirements, or just say standard manuscript format, follow these guidelines. This will make a good impression and help mark you out as a serious, professional writer.

build character Now that youve decided what your characters motivation is, its time to actually construct the vessel in which this purpose will reside. Just how do you build a person? By creating a life where none existed. Start at the base, and work your way up: 1. Childhood How was the characters early life? What was the persons family like? It doesnt take much effort to stray too far into pop psychology, but household composition and environment have a significant bearing on personality. So does ones experiences in school and in social settings as a child and an adolescent. Is domestic trauma in the characters past? Social stigma at school? An unusual amount of teenage angst? Were they abused, neglected, spoiled, enriched? Were they denied a childhood, or unable to outgrow it? You dont need to write your characters biography, but you should know the outline. 2. Relationships Is the character a loner, or a social butterfly? What type of family and friends does the character have? How do they interact with acquaintances and strangers? Do they have a romantic relationship or casual sexual partners? If theyre gay, are they out, or closeted? Are they extremely close to a few friends, or do they have a wide but shallow social circle? 3. Livelihood What does the character do for a living? That may be integral to the story, or it may be incidental. Readers deserve to know, though. But dont lock in a stereotype. Its easy to associate personality traits with certain professions or pastimes. Whats not so easy but is oh, so satisfying is to cast against type: How about a happy-go-lucky private eye? A softhearted crook? A wizard who cant spell straight? Do they like their job? Are they fulfilled, or frustrated? Good at what they do, or inept? How do they relate to those above and below them in the workplace hierarchy? Do they lie, cheat, or steal, or are they a paragon of productivity? Either way, are they rewarded, or punished, or ignored? 4. Pastimes

What does your character do after work, on weekends? Where do they vacation? What are their hobbies, interests, passions? Do they have an eccentric or unexpected avocation? Do they have a remarkable skill or talent no one knows about? Are they philanthropic or charitable, or is all their spare time given to family and friends, or are they devoted only to themselves? 5. Outlook Is the sun always shining, or does a perpetual rain cloud perch just over the characters shoulder? Are they blithe, cheerful, confident? Suspicious, resentful, fearful? Whether your characters glass is half full or half empty will determine the storys tone, so check the persons beverage before you put fingers to keyboard or pen to paper. What are your characters political views and social opinions? Are they religious? Skeptical? Atheistic? Scientifically minded, or superstitious? Are they charismatic, or a wallflower? So many questions! But so many answers must be provided and many more must be discovered on the journey that is the act of writing. (And some answers may change.) This character design is essential to your success not just for your main character but also, to varying degrees, for major and minor supporting players and for walk-ons. Whether youre aiming for high literature or genre fiction, the extent to which you care about your characters and their personalities will in large part determine how readers respond to them.

Narrative, Plot, and Story by Mark Nichol Whats the difference between narrative, plot, and story? Not much, but enough that it matters. Here are the distinctions, explained with aids of analogy, plus some details: Narrative is the structure of events the architecture of the story, comparable to the design of a building. Story is the sequence of events, the order in which the narrative occurs the tour through the building. Plot is the sum of the events, told not necessarily in sequential order, but generally consistent with the story and often considered synonymous with the narrative the building itself. But these similar and even overlapping components of composition are further affected by the narrative mode the techniques the author employs to tell the story. Among these strategies are narrative point of view and narrative voice. Narrative Point of View A first-person narrator relates the story by using the pronoun I (or, rarely, if two or more narrators are telling the story simultaneously, we). This device enables the reader to know the narrators internal thoughts and feelings as well. This narrative style may indicate that the narrator may or may not consciously be aware of a reading audience. Also, the first-person narrator is not necessarily the main character, or even central to the story. Second-person narrative, rare in literature, is that in which the narrator refers to a character as you. The most frequent mode, third-person narrative, involves reference to characters as he, she, they, or it. Variety is achieved by the authors decision to narrate subjectively, revealing characters thoughts and feelings, or objectively, without internal insight into any of the characters, as well as choice of omniscient or limited point of view: The author either knows all that is occurring in the story or is restricted to sharing only what is known to the focal character. Narrative point of view can vary within the same story, either by section or chapter or even within the same passage. Narrative Voice

Narrative voice is the style in which the narrative is presented for example, a characters recounting of events, or a privileged window into the characters thoughts and feelings. A narrator may be a participant, a character in the story who describes events, or a nonparticipant, an objective (but not necessarily accurate) observer who is not integrated into the story. Another technique is to feature an unreliable narrator, one whose narrative is initially or ultimately suspect because it contradicts what the reader learns from nonnarrated exposition or other points of view. For instance, in the Japanese film Rashomon, based on two short stories, four characters give conflicting accounts of an event. In Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the title characters naivet, a plot device enabling author Mark Twain to demonstrate his gift for social satire, makes him an unreliable narrator. Note that narrative applies to nonfiction as well as fiction, and even plot and story have a place in nonfiction, as reporters and authors often manipulate an account by constructing a narrative more sophisticated than the who, what, when, where, and why formula of traditional journalism. Theres even a term for this approach: creative nonfiction

5 Qualities to Consider During Character Development by Mark Nichol Descriptions of or references to your characters, their belongings, and their immediate surroundings say much about the people. Here are five aspects of personality that deserve some thought as you develop characters before and during the completion of your novel or short story. 1. Appearance Writers are naturally inclined to make their main characters especially attractive unless they believe there is a very good reason to do otherwise: The character wishes to avoid attention, the story has an ugly duckling theme, or the character is reprehensible (in which case they might nevertheless be, for contrast, extremely good looking). Dont introduce your character with an extensive physical appraisal, but do sprinkle hints about their appearance (or dont many great works of literature dont describe main characters looks at all). Make sure that physical features are consistent with that persons ethnic origins, unless theres a good reason for exceptions. If you do want readers to visualize your conception of the character, consider not just physical characteristics but also carriage and comportment. How does the person move? Fast, or slow? Purposefully, or uncertainly? Gracefully, or awkwardly? Selfconsciously, or without regard for how they are perceived? 2. Attire How do your characters dress? The period and locale will determine the general costume, but personality is still easily conveyed within these parameters. What does what the people wear say about their social status and about their character? Is their clothing austere, or ostentatious? Prim, or provocative? What kind of accessories, if any, do they wear, and why? 3. Business I refer here not to business as a synonym for commerce but in the theatrical sense of the characters physical actions. What facial expressions do they employ? Are they self conscious about them, or are they natural, or does it depend? If the character is physically demonstrative, how is this characteristic conveyed?

Do they use their hands a lot, or is the persons entire body an instrument of expression? Do they often handle or caress objects? Does their business convey calm, or are they fidgety? Do they make physical contact with other people? Do they observe conventions of social distance (the space people leave between each other according to their social status and relationship)? Do they establish and maintain eye contact and is this a sign of forthrightness, or an effort to discomfit or dominate others or are they evasive about it? What implements do they carry and use? Are these objects practical, like tools, or are they talismans? Does this person rely on instruments, or on thoughts and ideas, or on both? 4. Speech What is the tone of the characters voice? Smooth, or harsh? Quiet, or loud? Do they mumble, or do they enunciate carefully? With a high pitch, or a low one? Are they taciturn, or voluble? How else is their personality conveyed in the way they speak or how talk or think to themselves? Are they kind, or cruel, in their speech? Respectful, or insolent or condescending? Do they have an unusual accent, or do they try to suppress it, and are they successful all the time, or does the accent prevail when they are emotional or unguarded? Is their general mode of speech an effort to hide or overcome their origins? If they must speak a foreign language, are they fluent, or merely competent, or not even that? 5. Environment How does a character relate to their surroundings, and how does the person manipulate the environment? What is the persons dwelling like, and what do the characteristics of that place convey personality? How does their workplace do the same? Is the personal environment functional and practical, or is it expressive of the character? Do their possessions convey a simple lifestyle, or one devoted to acquisition of goods? A fascinating book called Snoop: What Your Stuff Says About You, by psychology professor Sam Gosling, concludes that the way personal items are displayed in ones home or workplace reveals much about the person, and that there are three general categories: things displayed ostentatiously (certificates, trophies, autographs), things displayed unselfconsciously for both the person and for visitors to see (vacation photos,

knickknacks), and things displayed solely for the benefit of the spaces occupant, not its visitors (mementos, notes from loved ones). Think about how you can apply this information to establishing settings for your characters, and bring what else you know or may soon learn about human behavior to bear when creating characters and telling stories.

Dealing with he said and she said by Maeve Maddox I once had a high school English teacher who encouraged her students to use as many synonyms for said as possible, for example: he gasped, she grumbled, and they snorted. Maybe she was just trying to get us to stretch our vocabularies. These days, writers prefer the simple word said, feeling that its more colorful synonyms tend to distract the reader. There are, of course, exceptions. If a character is asking a question, a word like asked is a more logical choice. An occasional shouted or screamed is also permissible in moments of extreme duress for the characters. Sometimes, however, even the he saids can slow conversational flow. Im presently revising a mystery novel, deleting every unnecessary word I find. Here are some of the revisions Ive made to get rid of speech attributions that are not absolutely necessary. Example one: Hello again, Miss Dunbar, he said, motioning for her to sit. Im afraid youre not having a very pleasant holiday. People do seem to be dying in my vicinity, she said. REVISION: Hello again, Miss Dunbar. Im afraid youre not having a very pleasant holiday. He motioned for her to sit. People do seem to be dying in my vicinity. Since only two people are in the room, attributions are unnecessary. I get rid of the first said by rearranging the sentence, allowing the mans gesture to identify him as the speaker. The second said is unnecessary because only two people are present. Example two: Weve found the murder weapon, Sir, the policeman said, holding out what he was carrying on a towel. Sallie looked at the object in bewilderment. It looks like a flute, she said. It is a flute, Dave said. A flute that shoots .22 caliber bullets. REVISION:

Weve found the murder weapon, Sir. The officer was carrying something on a towel. Sallie looked at the object in bewilderment. It looks like a flute. It is a flute, Dave said. A flute that shoots .22 caliber bullets. I get rid of the first two saids by letting gestures identify the speakers. I keep the third attribution to make clear which of the three men present is speaking. Sometimes a character thinks something without saying it aloud. Example Three: The policeman waited for Sallie to get onto the escalator in front of him. So I cant make a break for it, Sallie thought. REVISION: The policeman waited for Sallie to get onto the escalator in front of him. So I cant make a break for it. I get rid of Sallie thought by typing the thought itself in italics. The scene is being narrated from Sallies point of view. REMINDER: This is not a matter to worry about as you write the first, or even second, draft of your novel. Throw in all the saids and snorteds you like. Save the pruning for the final revision.

33 Writing Terms You Should Know by Simon Kewin As with all activities, writing fiction involves getting to grips with professional jargon. The following are some of the more common terms you may come across as you learn your craft and market your writing. POV (Point of View): the eyes through which the events of a story are seen. MC: The main character in a story. WIP (Work in progress): the thing you are currently working on. Simsub (Simultaneous submission): submitting the same piece of work to more than one magazine/publisher at the same time. Multisub (Multiple submission): sending more than one work to the same magazine/publisher at the same time. MG (Middle Grade): generally speaking, readers between 8 and 12 years old. YA (Young Adult): generally speaking, readers between 12 and 18 years old. MS/MSS: MS means manuscript. MSS is the plural, manuscripts. GL: Guidelines, describing what a publisher is interested in seeing. DL: Deadline: the cut off-date for a submission. Query Letter: A concise (one-page) pitch of an idea to an agent/publisher, to see if they are interested in reading a manuscript. Bio: Biographical details as supplied to an agent or publisher, including, for example, any previous writing credits. Slush/Slushpile: A pile, often large, of unsolicited manuscripts sent to a publisher or editor. Beta Reader: A secondary reader (after the writer) who checks a work with a view to spotting mistakes or suggesting improvements. Copy Editor: Someone who edits a manuscript for grammatical mistakes as well as spotting plot inconsistencies etc. Proof Reader: A person who checks that the proof of a work (the version ready for printing) matches the original manuscript. NaNoWriMo: National Novel Writing Month actually fairly international these days. Participants attempt to write a complete novel in one month (November).

The following are the definitions of the lengths of short stories, novels etc. employed by the Science Fiction Writers of America. Others may use different definitions. Short Story: A work under 7,500 words Novelette: A work of between 7,500 and 17,500 words Novella: A work of between 17,500 and 40,000 words Novel: A work of 40,000 words or more Flash Fiction: Very short fiction. Definitions vary, but less than 1,000 words and can be as short as 100 words or even less. Twitter Fiction : Fiction short enough to fit into a Tweet, i.e. up to 140 characters long. Finally, the following are some of the abbreviations you may come across to describe the various genres of fiction: SF: Science Fiction (or Speculative Fiction). HSF: Hard Science Fiction SSF: Soft Science Fiction F: Fantasy EF: Epic/High Fantasy DF: Dark Fantasy UF: Urban Fantasy MR: Magical Realism H: Horror GH: Gothic Horror

Physical Descriptions Put Readers in Your Place by Mark Nichol Writers deliver their stories fiction and nonfiction alike to readers more effectively when they use appearances of people, places, and things to help drive the narrative and illuminate personalities. Consider these ideas: People Some writers omit or minimize description of physical characteristics, considering them peripheral details, but revealing details about a persons appearance can be a valuable narrative tool, especially when the description up-ends expectations. Helping readers picture a diminutive authority figure or a sturdy, six-foot-plus word nerd, for that matter lets them know that the tale isnt going to be trite. Practice by jotting down notes about people you know or have seen in person or in images, but take care not to write as if youre filling out a police report. Instead of describing someone as extremely tall, note how they have to duck their head to walk through a doorway. Rather than using a pedestrian word like huge or petite, use formidable or bantam. In describing hair or eye color, avoid lustrous raven locks and limpid azure pools of light phraseology (unless youre penning a romance novel), and reach for unusual imagery like hair like a tangle of copper filaments or milky-green eyes open wide in an attitude of perpetual astonishment. Places For locations, employ the same strategy: Rehearse your writing by explaining the feel of a room, a street, or a park. Is it expansive, or economical? Friendly, or foreboding? Clean, or chaotic? What do your other senses tell you? What is the noise level? How does it smell? What are the textures like? Is it easy to walk through or along, or to otherwise navigate, or do obstacles interfere? If your story takes place in a natural landscape, describe the terrain and what associations it has based on whether it conjures a sense of grace, harmony, and peace or whether it is full of bleak, harsh, jagged features. How does the presence of vegetation, or bodies of water, contribute to the feel of the terrain? What effect does the weather produce?

Place your characters in the context of their locations by showing, without telling, whether they are at home in their setting or whether the environment is alien to them, and how they respond to their feelings. Things Objects may seem devoid of interest, but even everyday devices can resonate and can be integral to a story. The way belongings are displayed and arrayed can say much about the personality of their owner, as can whether they were bought at a dollar store or from an upscale online catalog. Things can exude an aura, or can be imbued with qualitative or quantitative value. The ubiquity of an electronic device can convey how essential it is to its user, or how integral it is to that persons self-perception because it (to their mind, at least) awards status. A possession can foreshadow an event or otherwise be key to a plot: A tech-dependent person, one who smugly employs a GPS but cant read a map, is lost in the wilderness without either. An adored stuffed animal conceals a weapon or a treasure. An innocuous object regarded off-handedly but often ultimately becomes the linchpin (or is a MacGuffin). Even in nonfiction, descriptions of objects can be used to great effect. An account of an interview with a powerful person who fidgets with tchotchkes, for example, can reveal them as nervous or insecure without saying so in so many words.