Why manuscript assessment is essential for writers

It’s easy for writers to lose their perspective after they have worked on their stories for some time. They may not see issues with characters or a problem with the timeline. It happens to all writers, including professional authors too!

Once a writer finishes writing a story, it’s a good investment to have the manuscript assessed. This helps to solve the bigger problems before the manuscript undergoes editing, which can reduce the editing requirements and editing costs.

Manuscript assessments apply to all stories, fiction and non-fiction, because all manuscripts need to have a sound structure. It could be a short story of 2,000 words, a novel exceeding 200,000 words, or a 100,000-word non-fiction narrative.

The plot has to be sound

There are a number of common pitfalls that can happen when writing a story. The plot has to develop naturally, driven by circumstances or characters. Avoid easy solutions when a character faces a problem, or you’ll risk alienating your audience. Having the cavalry charge over a hill to save the day is the easy way out and lacks impact for the reader. Instead, let your character’s intelligence or ingenious ability solve the problem, which is far more satisfying for readers.

The timeline must be workable

A story has a timeline even if it jumps around a bit with flashbacks or glimpses of the future. No matter how your story unravels to the audience, there’s still a timeline governing the order of events. If the story incorporates flashbacks or future glimpses, then the timeline becomes even more important. You need to be aware of when events happen in your story, so characters react in the right sequence.

Create a timeline with the events, so the timeline remains in place no matter how you decide to reveal the story. The old fashion way is to draw a line on a very long piece of paper with dates and times below the line. The events are written above the line correlating with the correct date and time. The modern way is to do this using software that organises your timeline.

Time does matter

Be mindful of time and how long things really do take. If a bomb is set to explode in 35 seconds, then give the character 34 seconds to disarm the bomb. It would be ludicrous to have a character running several blocks to a shed to retrieve wire cutters stored in a toolbox, and then run all the way back to snip the wire just in time – and all in under 35 seconds.

Characters are not all the same

Characters need to show their differences, their moods, their dreams, their wants and what they are prepared to do to achieve their goals. Make sure all your characters are different, so the reader can tell one from another. Not everybody wants the same things or think in the same way, so allow your characters to be individuals too.

People have good and bad qualities – it’s what makes us human. Even a person with evil intent has good qualities, just as a good person has a darker side. A vicious killer may have been exceptionally kind and caring to his mother. A kind-hearted charity worker may have thought about tampering with a nasty neighbour’s car, and eventually carries out the deed. A person may have managed to get away with a criminal act years ago, and would do anything to keep it a secret. And how many times do you hear on the news that someone who was arrested for murder was described as ‘such a quiet and friendly neighbour’?

What is the process for a manuscript assessment?

After a manuscript has been assessed, the writer receives a report that critiques each chapter – a comprehensive evaluation of the manuscript. Critiquing helps authors to improve their manuscripts, and it can help them identify their writing weaknesses. Our suggestions can be used to develop a story and eliminate major flaws while helping to improve skills. Learning about your weak areas helps you to break those bad habits and become a better and more skilled writer.

Having your manuscript appraised gives you the opportunity to see your story in a different light, to see what needs work, and to see what is truly amazing about your story. After you have finished reworking your story, you can submit it for a second manuscript assessment to make sure there’s nothing else needed or overlooked with the redrafting. Or perhaps you would like a particular area that has been rewritten to be reviewed. Otherwise, you could have your manuscript edited.

How long does a manuscript assessment take?

We realise that you are eager to receive the appraisal report so you can develop your story further. However, there is no ‘one size fits all’ mentality. The time it takes to appraise your manuscript depends mostly on the length of the manuscript and the complexity of the plotlines. However, the turn-around to appraise your manuscript will be included when providing a quote.

Make a move towards improving your story and contact us today for a no obligations quote.