Giving Your Writing Depth
Posted by annastan on February 22nd, 2010. Filed under: Craft, WIP, Writing Rants.Recently, I sent my agent the fairy tale retelling I’ve been working on since November. I love the story and I’m happy with the tone of the piece, but after I sent off the manuscript, I started wondering if I’d given my story enough depth. The manuscript was a bit on the short side, and even though I knew what was driving my characters, I wondered if it came across in the rather spare text.
I’d wanted to keep the story close to its fairy tale roots, but maybe I’d taken that influence a little too literally. In fairy tales, characters simply act and things happen without a larger reason; there is no psychology. But that won’t work for a YA novel where we want to feel a sense of cause and effect, and a connection to the characters.
Fast forward to Friday. I get an email back from my lovely agent. She likes the story and the tone, but her main observation? The story needs more depth. Not only did she make this perceptive observation, she also gave me some concrete ways to improve the story. Armed with her feedback, I was excited to get back to work!
So how can you tell if your story has enough depth? Here are a few questions to ask yourself:
-Do the characters’ motivations come across clearly in the story? Are their actions logically linked to their feelings and desires?
-How deeply do the characters care about the outcome of the story and about the other people in it?
-Are the consequences of failure or inaction clear? What would happen if the characters let their problems spiral out of control?
-Are there strong themes running through the story? What words best describe those themes?
Ultimately, you want your readers to feel like they know the people they’re reading about. The more readers believe in the characters, the more they’ll understand the decisions those characters are forced to make, and the deeper your story will feel.
Happy writing!
February 22nd, 2010 at 8:21 am
This is a great checklist of questions for a writer to ask about their characters, Anna.
One of the things that I love about some of my favorite books is that the characters are so well rounded and I can connect to them. This is because they do have the depth you are talking about.
Great post!
February 22nd, 2010 at 8:30 am
A great list of questions. I think that’s neat that you knew the truth before you heard back from your agent. Have fun revising/rewriting.
February 22nd, 2010 at 8:58 am
Thanks, Karen! That’s exactly what I’ll be striving for in my revisions, to make the characters feel real and round. Even though I already see them that way, I think I need to work harder at conveying that in the story.
Laura, it was almost a relief to hear my agent say what I already suspected about the manuscript. I wish I’d realized it before I sent it to her, but I didn’t start over-analyzing until it was already off. Oh well!
February 22nd, 2010 at 10:12 am
Great list, Anna. All excellent points, especially about the characters and how deeply they care about the outcome. If they don’t, the reader won’t. Neither will the reader connect to the character, nor will they believe him. Once again, it begins with the character, doesn’t it?
February 22nd, 2010 at 11:19 am
Ooh, I love ‘What would happen if the characters let their problems spiral out of control?’. Sometimes we writers get lazy and don’t take things to the limit! Great post.
February 22nd, 2010 at 11:35 am
Andrea, it really does all come down to character. I tend to focus more on story when I start, and it usually takes me a while to fill out the characters. But ultimately what keeps me coming back to the WIP are the characters.
Bev, I think we’re all guilty of not pushing limits sometimes. I think part of it is we want to spare our characters a little bit. But sometimes you have to push them over that cliff, even if they’ll hate you for it.
February 22nd, 2010 at 12:21 pm
Great questions, Karen! Thanks.
February 22nd, 2010 at 1:22 pm
That’s a great list of questions! Thanks for posting that. Very cool that you are so in-sync with your agent on the project. Happy Revising!
February 22nd, 2010 at 3:37 pm
Great way to check a manuscript for character depth! Thanks. Also, isn’t it cool when you and your agent are on the same wavelength?
February 22nd, 2010 at 5:24 pm
Elisabeth and Lisa, I was so excited that my agent and I were thinking the same thing! It just proved all over again that she’s the perfect agent for me. I’m hoping next time I’ll see the trouble spots BEFORE I send her the manuscript!
February 23rd, 2010 at 6:10 am
What a great checklist! I’m copying those down!
February 23rd, 2010 at 12:30 pm
Really enjoying your blog. Every time you mention a book, it’s one I’ve just read or am about to read. So funny.
I hope you’re enjoying Leviathan (I loved it), and good luck with your book. It sounds like you have a great agent.
February 23rd, 2010 at 6:00 pm
Sherrie, I’m glad this was helpful! Happy writing.
Sheila, I love meeting book twins! I haven’t had much time for reading lately, but I’m really enjoying Leviathan so far. I’m hoping I can squeeze in some more chapters tonight!
February 23rd, 2010 at 7:12 pm
Yeah for agents!
February 24th, 2010 at 8:46 pm
Awesome advice, Anna! This is what makes the difference between a good book and a great book!