Your Manuscript Needs Help—Here’s What to Check for
Artwork by Celestial Creations
Writing a manuscript sounds so easy, doesn’t it? Just grab your laptop, word-vomit into it, edit, and publish.
Except there are aspects to check for that differentiate a well-written story from a sloppy, hard-to-read one.
Sometimes, clients come to me with their manuscript and practically shove it in my face saying, “Here. Take it. Please, fix it!”
But there’s nothing broken about it.
When it comes to the first draft of a manuscript, as long as you’re expressing your ideas authentically and saying everything you want to say, you’ve done a good enough job.
Now, it’s just a matter of giving your story the structure and assets it needs to shine.
Here’s what I look for when I assess a client’s draft.
What’s the Point?
The first thing I ask is: What is the story you’re trying to tell?
This helps me understand not only the message you want to share but also what perspective would be most effective to execute sharing that message.
Are we writing from the lesson or from a specific point along the journey?
If we’re writing from the middle of the journey, do we want the first half of it to sound more reflective, or do we want it to occur in real time so that the reader can experience how you arrived here?
This helps me understand how to strengthen the structure of the piece. There are key aspects that are required to create a solid structure, but the flow will be unique to each story, and that depends heavily on perspective.
Structure & Development
Is this just a manuscript full of random lines smashed together, or is it at the very least somewhat coherent?
Either way, it’s fine because I work with my clients to strengthen the structure regardless of what it looks like.
When it comes to development, I always start from the climax and work backward to shape the first half of the story, and then forward for the second half.
What is the climax? If you can’t identify the climax of your story, your narrative may be losing its direction.
Something I’ve noticed is that writers often start strong with a clear message, but somewhere along the way, they lose sight of it and create what many call “filler content.”
These are lines of dialogue or passages that add unnecessary padding to the story without actually contributing to its development.
Is filler content always a bad thing? Not at all! In fact, sometimes it can add a lot of character to the story depending on how it’s used. It becomes an issue when it’s used excessively, as it causes the story to drag.
A good rule of thumb is: if details that seem unnecessary wouldn’t be missed if cut from the scene, it’s most likely filler content.
Example:
Brief Synopsis: This is a story about a woman named Selena who has severe trust issues and is trying to overcome her fear of letting people in to see who she really is.
The Message: While allowing people entry into your life may feel risky for those with trust issues, human connection is invaluable because everyone who walks into your life is a mirror that adds something new and unique to your journey.
Climax: After weeks of superficial conversations with the new girl in her class, Selena has finally decided to open up about her past and why she struggles with letting people in.
*This is the peak and turning point of the story where the character overcomes her fear of letting people see the real her and, in turn, forms her first genuine connection in years. She learns the overarching message of the story in this scene, and it shapes the rest of the manuscript.
Scenario: Selena is in class thinking about opening up to the new girl.
Version 1
Selena tapped her pencil against her notebook and stared at the chalkboard in the front of the classroom. She remembered what her therapist told her about learning to stay present instead of avoiding her fears. When the bell rang, she adjusted her backpack and smoothed her hair, thinking briefly about how much homework she had to do when she got home. She caught the new girl’s eye but looked away, unsure what to say.
What Went Wrong:
Filler Content. There was no need to mention homework unless it adds foreshadowing. Maybe Selena was planning to ask the girl to come over so they could work on their assignments together. If it doesn’t contribute to the development of the story or emphasize the character’s personality and mindset, it’s unnecessary. In this case, the line could be removed and the integrity of the scene wouldn’t change.
Because this scene is the climax, the therapist’s advice is considered filler content because the character doesn’t act on it and it adds nothing to the story’s development. If this were any other scene, I would not consider it filler content.
I see that line as reinforcing the character’s fear and the nagging awareness that she needs to do something about it. Selena making eye contact with the new girl but not making a move to talk to her highlights the character’s inner conflict and adds tension to the scene because of that line about the therapist’s advice.
Missing Climax. The climax is the turning point of the story where the central conflict reaches its peak and the character is forced to make a choice or take action. It expands on the ideas, emotions, and tensions that have been building throughout the story. In this scene, it sounded like Selena was going to make a move to approach the new girl but ultimately decided against it, putting her right back at square one. There is no major turning point in this scene; therefore, it can’t be the climax of the story.
Version 2
Selena tapped her pencil against her notebook as she took deep breaths, trying to control her anxiety about what she was about to do. She remembered what her therapist told her about learning to stay present instead of avoiding her fears. She knew she couldn’t let her fears control her forever and made the final decision to conquer them. The new girl’s eyes met hers, and instead of looking away, Selena drew a deep breath and whispered, “There’s something I need to tell you… about why it’s so hard for me to let people in.”
What Works:
No filler content. There are no unnecessary details that do not contribute to the story or character development.
There is a clear climax where Selena swallows her fears and approaches the new girl. This is the turning point of the story. From here on out, the narrative will be shaped by the moral of the story. Selena will learn why being vulnerable in connections is sometimes necessary and how everyone you let into your life is either a lesson or a blessing.
Every sentence serves a purpose:
Selena’s nervousness and decision to face her fears — character development
References a prior conversation that adds to the story’s development — connects to story arc
Takes action by doing something the entire story has been building up to — climax
So, together we’ll figure out:
Is this story consistently building toward a message, or does it fall flat and lose the plot halfway through?
How does paragraph arrangement contribute to the development?
How are the character and plot developing in a purposeful way?
Flow
I used to believe that flow depended on structure, but some of my clients have proved otherwise.
Some people are actually really good at connecting two ideas that have no relation to each other. Paragraphs seem out of place, but somehow they flow nicely.
The issue is, the end of that first paragraph might transition nicely into the beginning of the next one, but overall? It’s a mess.
Flow isn’t just about connecting small ideas on a paragraph scale. It’s about connecting the big ideas of the story on a macro and micro scale.
When you zoom out and read the complete story, it should feel like a natural progression of thoughts and emotions. Even if you have plot twists, the story leading up to the twist should flow, and the story after the twist should flow.
Unresolved Threads
Writing a manuscript is not easy. There are tons of different ideas to keep track of so that you can tie up all loose ends toward the final part of the story.
There are some cases where people intentionally leave ideas unfinished to build suspense and mystery for the next book in the series, but the book usually ends on a cliffhanger with some type of foreshadowing that the story isn’t complete just yet.
If this isn’t your goal, you’re going to want to tie up those loose ends.
I’ve read manuscripts where the build-up to the climax and the climax are executed well. But once that climax is over, it all falls apart because the writer didn’t build enough suspense to keep the essence of the climax present in the last act of the book.
It’s almost like the story builds and builds, and then the climax and resolution happen simultaneously. The final act doesn’t have much substance because there’s nothing left to work with.
Inconsistent pacing often causes unresolved threads because instead of creating a slow burn toward the final part of the story, you’re rapidly checking off boxes that only relate to the major theme of the story.
You’re not resolving all the ideas you introduced; you’re only finishing up the bigger ones.
Plot Holes
Plot holes are common and they’re quite sneaky. They can go under your radar while you’re reading and immersed in the story, but once it’s over and you reflect on it, you realize some ideas were introduced and never seen through to the end. This can leave the reader feeling dissatisfied or confused about what really occurred during the book.
This can look like timeline inconsistencies, a character being privy to knowledge they shouldn’t know just yet, vital information that has the potential to change the course of the story but is never used, etc.
Depending on how drastic a plot hole is, sometimes rectifying it looks like adding a couple of passages to support the plot all the way through to the end. Other times, the entire structure of the book needs to be reanalyzed and strengthened — this is especially true if the plot hole correlates to one of the core themes or messages of the book.
Create the Next Draft
Using all of the feedback given, I work with the client to create the next draft, which should feel like an actual book and not like broken ideas pasted together with no real meaning.
After that comes a quick edit, refinement, and polishing, and there you have it. Your completed manuscript, ready to show off to the world!
The process may feel overwhelming, but that’s what I’m here for. Book a free consultation with me, and we’ll assess your manuscript to make it the best it can be.