Write longer chapters in the book?
Hey, I'm currently writing a romance novel and wanted to ask how I can flesh out the story more. I'm currently on page 35 and chapter 6, and I think it's all happening way too fast… Feel free to share your tips 🙂
thanks in advance
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More descriptions – of characters, landscapes, buildings … more inner dialogues of the main character(s), more sophisticated dialogues between the protagonists, more background info on the world/time in which the story is taking place … there are many ways to give a story "more meat" to the "bones".
Thank you
With such a question, it would be very helpful if you would provide us with everything or at least one sample. Of course we can't tell you if and if what you're doing is wrong. However, I would generally give you the following things:
First, page numbers are a useless indication. Depending on the font size, line spacing and formatting, five pages per chapter are very different lengths. Word lets you write to DIN A4 by default, which is significantly larger than a book page. Then it comes to the fact that the length of the chapter varies, depending on the style of writing and how much content you pack in a chapter. That you have "only" about six pages per chapter is therefore not automatically a sign that everything happens too quickly.
Otherwise, your question looks like you're a beginner and you don't have any idea about the craft. However, typical beginners' mistakes have probably occurred.
This includes one of the bad writing styles, which usually consists of a lot of action and little of descriptions of, for example, the environment or feelings. If one improves, it changes, which is why one suddenly needs much more space for the same action and everything goes a little slower. The style of writing is not improved from today to tomorrow. I've always helped to pick out one element and practice it until I've automatically made it much better.
Another problem with beginners is that they don't really know how to build a good story. You don't have a feeling for what scene is going on and which ones aren't. They also have no feeling when a breathing pause is necessary and therefore tend to jump from climax to climax.
Another point that could cause your story to be quickly told could be that it is not enough for a novel, but only for a short story or novel. That would be perfectly fine. If you want to write a novel, however, you will notice the following: in Romans, the action is usually stretched by the fact that there is a main conflict and ancillary conflict, and the protagonist usually encounters several obstacles on the way to the goal.
To make both clearer, I'll explain it with the example of Harry Potter Volume 7: The main conflict consists of the aims of Harry and Voldemort to destroy each other. Harry can't just go to Voldemort and kill him, but must destroy the Horcruxes before. Here we have the problem that there are several and Harry has to find out what is even a Horcrux. Thus, there are automatically many obstacles that he has to overcome on his way. The story would be much quicker to tell if there was only one Horcrux and Harry knew where to find him. Intermediate conflicts are, for example, the differences of opinion within the group.
In the end, there's nothing to stretch your story out on devils. New obstacles can also act inappropriate or tricked, descriptions can also be too long and grading. So consider where your mistakes are.
Thanks for the detailed feedback 🙂
As Dakaria said, the number of pages is useless. 6 pages can include 10,000 words or only 500 words depending on formatting. The number of words would be more meaningful, but only by that it cannot be understood where the problem is, or whether there is one at all.
There are writers who come to the point more quickly than others. It doesn't have to be a bad thing. Not everyone tends to endless floral rewriting and yet it can be exciting and well written. Often less is.
It also depends on your experience how much you describe. Beginners like to neglect things like direct thoughts, feelings, mimics, gestures, etc. It lacks feeling when these descriptions are reasonable and when not. In general, the smaller steps are often skipped.
Also, whether "Show, don't tell" uses or always only asserts, makes a difference in abundance, but also belongs to this Exercise .
I'll take your text from one of the comments:
Here, for example, you could have said more about how your figure perceives the whole thing. What is it like about the weather?
When I came out of John's workshop, the sun dazzled me so strongly that I squandered the eyes and shielded them with the right hand. The pupils of the summer were heavy in the air, similar to the stench of devastating food remaining in the garbage cans filled the streets. In the workshop it was at least pleasantly cool, but here outside I was suddenly aware of how much I hated this season. It was a mystery to me why this unbearable heat was rejoiced every year. Every step was exhausting, sweating on all the clothes on a stick like chewing gum and at some point in the course of the day you smell as bad as rotten fish. The many different deodorants and perfumes that blended in bus and train to form a single, huge scent cloud were not much better. …
It's probably just lacking a context here, because it's just a text cut, but here you could've got a little more into their feeling world. What did she do and how exactly does she feel about it? What does she think about or about herself? Does she blame herself? Is she fine with it? There's something more than "I didn't like it."
How does she get there? Did she run? Drive by bus? Does she have a car? What does it look like? You don't have to exaggerate it with the descriptions, but here and there a detail would be helpful for the reader to create an image in the head. How do you imagine the café? Is it in the middle of the main road or rather in a quiet location? Are there special features such as floor depth windows or many green plants/flowers? If you cannot describe architecture/will, focus on the impression of the perspective figure. Does the cafe have a welcoming effect? Does she find the colors friendly or rather cold? How do the employees work on them? is it loud or quiet? How does she feel the atmosphere? Would she make something different if she had a right to speak? Does it smell delicious for coffee?
Sometimes it helps to remember what you perceive when you enter a café.
These are just a few examples now, but don't try to make anything different on cramp. This is a matter of practice and comes all alone in time. Just keep writing and when you rework your texts, you can still fill up what's missing.
At any rate, you shouldn't stretch his texts. It makes no sense to want to achieve a certain number of pages or words. Quality is about quantity.
And if I can give you another little tip: You start your sentences very often with "I". Try to get some more change. It is often enough to change the sentence a little.
Example:
I found the name still weird, but…
I always found the name weird, but…
______________________________________________________________
If, on the other hand, you are moving too fast in terms of content, you will only be relieved. Figures need space to develop. Of course, that also applies to their relationships with one another. If everything goes too fast, it's getting unbelievable and especially in terms of romantic relationships, unfortunately, it happens very often. Simply create a few more intermediate steps that make this development more comprehensible and authentic for the reader. Put your figures in the way, so they don't always reach every stage target immediately, etc.
I advise you, however, to think of any unimportant side acts only to stretch the story. That's how you bury readers rather than keep them.
Sometimes the plot is not enough for a whole novel, even that's not bad. Just write, have fun and learn from the process as much as you can. The next project will make you feel much easier than it is now. :
Ps.: Reading helps to improve your own feeling language and learn how to express this better.
Love
You can always break out of the story, in the past, in the future or in a fantasy world, and then you come back to the present and relate to this other story.
You can describe everything, and you can also conduct longer thoughts or discussions/discussions. LG Louis
Thank you.
If you have to "fill" the story, you don't have a good story. Then you are lacking at least one of good conflicts with credible development and increasing tension, well-designed figures whose backgrounds, motives and desires you know, interesting and credible character developments for the figures and/or a corresponding interweaving of all these things.
In addition, don't forget about signs. Whenever it fits all the senses of the main character(s) and how it reacts.
It's more about getting too fast that I'm on page 35 at chapter 6. I have already written my ideas and so I know these conflicts of the figures. I just need tips on how to pull the story into the length…
But still thanks for your feedback 🙂
Not “conflicts of figures” but “the conflict of history”
"Drawing into length" is a method used by bad authors who have no interesting content. You shouldn't do that.
Read your chapters and ask yourself the questions:
Is the story credible?
Have the figures been sufficiently presented and how have they developed?
Do readers know where and when the action is taking place?
Did you make the reader feel the story?
Etc
Post a chapter, with the text in front of the eye, advice is easier.
So the main character is to ask a friend to whom she doesn't have romantic feelings. He needs the bet for a new motorcycle.
What's his bet? Is it just about asking for a date or does it have to make them say?
What makes him take the bet? Can't he earn the money differently?
What are his risks in the matter?
The conflict develops over history. Eric (2nd editor) enters an ette with the best friend of Aria (Protagonisteni). The bet: The best friend thinks Eric doesn't manage to ask Aria for a date. (he needs money for a new motorcycle)
Sura.
But that's just the embellishment around the conflict. What is the conflict of your history? In a maximum of 3 sentences.
Thanks for your feedback and the good tips I'm trying to change the direction 🙂
Especially in such a scene, when changes from an environment (workshop) to a new (outside), signs are ideal. You don't know anything about the figure.
How does the outside feel in comparison? Is it warm, windy, hot, cold? How does the floor feel? Is it asphalt, grass, solid earth? What does the figure smell like?
I give an example:
You can write the same scene in hundreds of ways and it will always fit when the narrative of the figure is adjusted.
A figure that loves summer and sun will react quite differently to the mentioned impressions. A figure that lasts for a melancholic autumn, too. A figure that wants to land, will hate the urban environment, a figure that it hates to make dirty, will be annoyed by the workshop, etc.etc.
Calling a song by the name is terrible. It does not contribute to the mood, especially if the readers do not know the song by the name. To say something about the figure, it is much better to mention what kind of music she hears and above all why she hears it now. Does she want comfort? Reduction? Distraction? Closure? Confirmation?
A small section from my book: 8 is not yet reworked, so there are many legal errors ect available)
The sun seemed strong in my face when I left John's dark workshop. I blinked and breathed deeply. I had the money. I still didn't like the way. But I had no choice. Looking for another side job didn't come into question because my schedule was full anyway. I went through my hair with both hands and ran a soft curse. I tried to push the thought aside and hide it with music. I put my headphones on and left the song Stargazing run while I went to CC with my computer under my arm. I found the name still funny but since I was there with Aria I was positively surprised by the delicious drinks they offered there. When I stood in front of the cafe, I pressed against the glass door, which went up and granted me access.
LG Aria
You want me to tell you what's missing from your book I know exactly zero words.
Yes, this is a good preconception…
You have to keep the story exciting.