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June 2009 Article

“Just the Facts, Mam”

By: Kelly Moran

     I’ve been a book reviewer for quite some time now through Bookpleasures, and I must say, without a doubt, there is nothing more irritating than when the facts in a story are incorrect. This can come in many forms from setting, to language, to professions.

     Let me give you some examples. #1- You’re reading a book about Alaska and the author says the bobsled team is pulled by a pack of Shitzu’s. #2- You’re reading a romance book and on page two it says the best friend is a wedding planner, but on page fifty-five she is a florist. #3- You’re reading a murder mystery and the lead character (FBI agent) picks up the murder weapon without gloves.

     Hmm. Getting my point? Now these are rare and extremely silly examples, but point proven.

      Advice… get your stories straight. Research your setting by interviewing people who live there. Search everything from climate to traffic patterns. Research what your characters do for a living by interviewing people in those fields. Find out what makes the characters tick. Read psychology books and correlate their past with flaws in the present. Read body language books. That is the key. Body language can say so much more than any dialog and makes your characters real to the reader. This should be done before you write your book.

     When writing your book, let your creative juices flow, but when you get to that dreaded editing and rewriting process, go over that baby with a fine tooth comb. Trust me, the readers notice. I’ve even found them in bestsellers books, so worry not you self-publishers, it happens. Sometimes I find it best to let the manuscript sit for thirty days and then go back to it with a fresh eye. I notice more that way and can add things that are lacking. I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again, get a critique partner. They are invaluable.

     As always, best of luck to you.

Kelly Moran