Before you start worrying about spelling, and typos, fix the big picture issues with your plot, characters, and dialogue or readers may feel disatisfied.
Inauthentic narrator
When the narrator doesn’t sound like the character they’re meant to be, it makes the story less believable and engaging for readers. People expect the narrator’s voice to match the character’s personality, and when it doesn’t, it can be harder for readers to connect with the story and the characters. This mismatch can make the reading experience less enjoyable and less convincing.
Solution
To make the narrator sound more like the intended character, you should carefully match the narrator’s voice with the character’s personality and traits. This involves paying attention to the character’s language, thoughts, and emotions. Getting feedback from beta readers or an editor, can also help ensure the authenticity of the narrative voice.
Rambling dialogue
Dialogue in fiction becomes problematic when it lacks purpose. This happens when characters engage in conversations that don’t contribute to character development, plot progression, or the overall themes of the narrative. Superfluous dialogue can result in readers questioning its relevance. To read more about dialogue, follow the link.
Solution
Check that every piece of dialogue serves a purpose in advancing the story. If it doesn’t help the plot progress, or add anything else, consider whether it really needs to stay. By eliminating unnecessary dialogue, the story will be tighter and your readers will feel more engaged.
A lack of conflict
A story without conflict becomes dull and uninteresting. Conflict adds excitement, propels the plot forward, and allows characters to grow. Without it, the narrative lacks tension, becomes predictable, and fails to engage readers emotionally. Conflict is essential for creating a dynamic and memorable story.
Solution
To fix a story lacking conflict, you’ll need to create some challenges for your characters to face and overcome. These challenges can be internal or external, adding excitement and tension to the plot. By carefully introducing conflicts that fit the story’s themes, you’ll make the narrative more engaging and ensure your characters have chances to grow.
Unclear theme
The problem with theme in storytelling arises when it is unclear, inconsistent, or poorly executed. If themes are not well-defined, readers may find the narrative confusing or less impactful. Forced or preachy themes can also impact the overall storytelling experience.
Solution
take a close look at the core ideas or messages you want to convey in their story. If they’re unclear, you can adjust how these themes are presented, ensuring they naturally fit into the plot, the development of characters, and the overall structure of the story.
Info-dumping
A common problem with worldbuilding in fiction is the “info dump,” where too much information about the fictional world is presented all at once. Providing an overwhelming amount of details about the world in a single burst can be daunting for readers. It may lead to confusion, disengagement, or feeling overloaded with information.
Solution
If you spot any info-dumps, break them into smaller details and weave them throughout the narrative. Offer information as it becomes relevant to the plot or characters, allowing readers to naturally absorb and understand the fictional world without feeling overwhelmed. This approach helps maintain a balance between providing context and advancing the story.
Tense switches
Inconsistent tense occurs when a writer begins with one tense but forgets to maintain it, resulting in a mix of present and past tenses. This can be very confusing for readers because they lose their anchor to the present narrative. A further issue is overusing flashbacks, which use the past perfect tense (‘had + verbs’). Too much of this structure can quickly feel repetitive and stiff.
Solution
To overcome this issue, choose a tense that aligns with the story and stick with it. When dealing with flashbacks, first keep them short, and aim for varied sentence structures and contractions to prevent the narrative from feeling repetitive. You can read more about flashbacks here.
Conclusion
Prioritize addressing significant plot, character, and dialogue issues before delving into spelling and typos. If the big picture elements of your story don’t align, readers may abandon your book or provide negative reviews.
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