The Editor's Desk: A Word on the Craft of Fiction

Three Big Problems

Because we are writers, too, every one of us here at Spinetingler hates form rejections. We know what they feel like: Those stupid editors might as well have painted HELL NO on a rock and thrown it through your window.

Why was my manuscript rejected? Was it close? What could I change that might make it acceptable? Rejection forms tell you nothing. Just another slap in the face to see if you are determined enough as a writer to push on.

Sandra has talked before about why we can't give individual critiques, even in abbreviated or checklist form. We would like to, but basically a few bad apples prevent everyone's gain by harassing us. Until we can afford armed guards, or take years to earn a black belt in karate, we are forced to use form rejections.

For those fiction writers interested in improving their craft, however, know that nine out of ten rejections involve one or more of the following Big Three problems:

1. No hook. We are not talking about the first line. You have 100-200 words to interest us in SOMEthing -- characters, events, the setting, a question or threat. At least raise our curiosity. The best submissions use many of these elements to grab the reader -- and they do it with style*.

2. Poor storytelling skills. A lack of flow; jarring point-of-view shifts; or the words and ideas seem plain confusing. Boring is also bad. If you must give the reader backstory, slip in that stale cake a nibble at a time, not in chunky slices.

3. Writing needs polish. We see way too many clichés -- characters, stories, and phrases. Don't be lazy. Say it differently. The use of too many weak verbs (was, is) constitutes another lazy practice. Rewrite. Turn the sentence around to use strong verbs. Elmore Leonard** hates adverbs, too much description, and dialogue tags other than "said." We only dislike them.

* -- Read, study, and use Strunk and White's "The Elements of Style."

** -- Rules exist to be broken, but Leonard, a recognized master craftsman, offers ten first-rate suggestions at
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940CE3DD103BF935A25754C0A9679C8B63

Finally, here are specific rejections we would have scribbled on (but did not) two recent, well-written submissions:

Reads like an essay, not fiction.

After a good start, the tension disappeared.

Keep writing, and if you have any questions or suggestions for a topic here, send me an email.
-- Jack Getze

spinetinglermag@gmail.com