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What’s At Stake?

May 4, 2022 by Tia Rose Mele Leave a Comment

It’s been a while since I posted a blog! I’m back and ready to give some more writing advice. This topic came up with one of my editing clients (click here to see more about my editorial services!) and I thought it would make for a fun blog.

As a writer, you’ve probably heard that you need to up the stakes in your project. It’s a pretty common critique, because stakes are what make a reader want to read your book, and if a reader doesn’t want to read, why would anyone want to publish it?

So, what exactly are stakes? In your book, the stakes are literally what is at stake for the characters. (Okay, ‘stake’ doesn’t even feel like a word anymore, but I’m going to keep going.) If the main character succeeds, what will they gain? More importantly, what will happen if they fail? How would it hurt them? How would it hurt (or help!) the people around them?

A common misconception is that stakes always have to be Big. They don’t!

Of course, if you’re writing a high fantasy, then yeah, you should have really big world-ending stakes (as well as really small, world-ending stakes).

But, what about your YA romance? The two main characters getting together probably won’t save the world. But, it could save their world. If they don’t get together, they’ll miss out on a great relationship, lose a great friend, or it’ll save them from heartbreak later on. These are small things, aren’t they? Even so, they’re still stakes. It still matters.

Of course, there are going to be a ton of stakes throughout your book. There’s the main plot, which should have the highest stakes, and then a bunch of sub plots, which each have stakes of their own. Every character, even the minor ones, should have something they’re working towards, some end goal, and some reason they need to reach that goal (and consequences if they don’t!).

The stakes also have to matter, just like everything in the story. I’m a big fan of chopping as an editor, and it’s incredibly hard, but it makes for a clean, tight, and strong story. If you have something that can be easily cut without changing the story, that’s not good in terms of stakes. Stakes have to be something the reader believes in, and something important enough to hold on to. If you can cut it, it’s not important enough!

Unfortunately, this isn’t easy. If it was, you wouldn’t have to worry about it!

When I’m editing, one of my favorite things to do is ask questions, because I think it helps shape the story. I do it when I’m writing too! Even when I’m writing a blog post, I’ll ask myself, what do I want to say? What do I want readers to get from this? Why do I use so many exclamation points?

So, while you’re writing, or editing, ask yourself some of these questions:

Why is the character doing this? Why does it matter?

Where will the character be if they succeed? If they fail?

How does it impact those around the character? Who else will suffer, or gain, from the outcome?

If I remove this, how will it impact the character? Do they need to be doing this? Is it vital to the story?

Where does the character start, and where do they end? How did every choice they made up until now lead them from A to B?

If you want a really fun exercise (one I highly recommend!) try doing this from the character’s POV. Answer the questions based on what your MC would say. This can help you with your voice, and it also helps with stakes. The character has to know what they’re up against, and what will happen if they win or lose!

I hope this helps you to dive into your stakes!

xoxo Tia

If you like what you’ve read, consider buying me a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/tiarosemele

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: edit, editing, editor, manuscript, query, revision, stakes, write, writer, writing

When Should Authors Start Submitting Their Manuscripts?

May 21, 2020 by Tia Rose Mele Leave a Comment

This isn’t an answer anyone is going to like, but it’s the truth: only the author knows when the book is ready to submit.

I will say this, don’t ever send a query on a first draft. You should revise at least once (ideally a couple times) before you start submitting. Remember, this is likely your only chance with that agent for this project, and you want to make sure you’re achieving the best first impression you can. If your book is full of grammar and spelling errors, disorganized, has extensive plot holes, and generally reads like a first draft, you’re going to ruin your chance with an agent.

My recommendation is always to set your book aside for a couple of months after you finish it. Start working on something else, give yourself a break, start creating your submission list, do anything else you want in that time, but do not touch that manuscript. Then, come back to it with fresh eyes and start revising. That distance will help immensely, I promise.

You can also have others take a look at the manuscript. Writing groups and critique partners are great for getting an extra set of eyes on your work. Of course, take their feedback with a grain of salt. Make sure you’re staying true to your vision for the story. You want to take the feedback that will enhance your book, but remember it is your book.

Basically, you should go as far with the manuscript as you can go before you have submitted it. Once you reach the point where you feel like you have done what you can and it’s ready, then you can start submitting your work. Like I said, only the author knows when that point is reached. 

This post was recommended by @alexandrazlazar. Thanks for the recommendation, and please continue to send blog suggestions on Twitter!

xoxo Tia

If you like what I talk about on my blog, consider buying me a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/tiarosemele

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: agent, edit, editing, editor, manuscript, query, revision, submission, submissions

Negotiating Manuscript Changes

May 19, 2020 by Tia Rose Mele Leave a Comment

When it comes to changes to your manuscript, it’s ultimately your decision to make them or not. I’m a very editorial agent, so I’m going to make extensive recommendations. I usually do this when I offer representation so the author knows what my expectations are for a revision.

However, revisions are a conversation. If an agent says that x needs to be changed but you think that would hurt the integrity of your story, you can explain why. We’ll try to work with you to enhance that point so you can keep it in. I’m always open to discussing potential revisions. 

I think the only real red flags agents will have are racist/sexist/offensive issues. If there is something that needs to be changed because it will alienate or offend a group of people, I expect that change to be made, and I won’t budge on it. Of course, getting sensitivity reads is important, and any recommendations they make have to be followed as well.

Other than that, agents know that the book is yours. We don’t want to change your vision for the book, but we want to make it the best book it can be. If you don’t like an agent’s editorial vision, then they likely aren’t the right agent for you. That’s why it’s important to talk about revisions before you sign with an agent!

This post was recommended by @leslie_goodreid. Thanks for the recommendation, and please keep sending me blog post ideas on Twitter!

xoxo Tia

If you like what I talk about on my blog, consider buying me a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/tiarosemele

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: agent, author, edit, editing, editor, editorial, literary, literary agent, manuscript, revise, revising, revision, twitter

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