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## <center> *Did you miss the previous installments of this writer’s series?* </center> ##

<center> [Installment One]( https://steemit.com/story/@ericvancewalton/re-write-polishing-the-first-draft-of-your-novel-or-short-story-installment-1-of-4) </center>
<center> [Installment Two]( https://steemit.com/story/@ericvancewalton/rewrite-polishing-the-first-draft-of-your-novel-or-short-story-installment-2-of-4) </center>

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# Characterization #

**N**o two characters are more important to flesh out in your story than your protagonist (good) and antagonist (evil). The objectives/goals of the protagonist and antagonist should be polar opposites. They should perform a complicated dance as they try to achieve their perspective goals while preventing the other from successfully achieving theirs. If done properly, this interplay between good and evil will leave readers captivated. This relationship between good and evil is the root of all good fiction. Both the hero and the villain must be equally interesting and complex. Most of us have seen the original Star Wars series of films and know the story well. George Lucas nails the perfect protagonist and antagonist relationship with Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader. 

Ideally, you must get your reader to fear and/or hate your protagonist but then also identify with him or her emotionally in some way without totally losing that loathing feeling. The antagonist in my [first novel](https://www.amazon.com/Alarm-Clock-Dawn-Vance-Walton-ebook/dp/B00UGNA24A/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1492190851&sr=1-1&keywords=alarm+clock+dawn+book), Johann Pfizer is a textbook narcissist and sociopath but I am careful to also show some events in his life that helped to mold him into the monster he is. This creates a sort of sympathy in the reader. Johann displays violent behavior in several scenes of the novel and only hint to much greater sadistic tendencies. I’ve had many readers tell me this innuendo created suspense and made Johann seem even more sinister to them. Holding back or alluding to details of a character in the right way can make a reader’s imagination run wild and form their own conclusions. Doing this connects the reader to your story on a much deeper level. 

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# “When writing a novel a writer should create living people; people not characters. A character is a caricature.”  ― Ernest Hemingway, Death in the Afternoon #

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The reader should identify with your protagonist so strongly that they cannot help but root for them against all odds. You must make your protagonist likeable or even lovable. A classic way to accomplish this connection between the reader and your protagonist is with sympathy. The protagonist in my first novel, Adam, is a stutterer with very low self-esteem but is incredibly intelligent. Adam’s faced with nothing less than saving the world but has to overcome many of his personal obstacles before he can accomplish his supreme goal in the novel. Readers have told me that they root for Adam right away and connect with him because they draw a correlation between his struggles and their own. Getting readers to empathize with and relate to your character’s struggles is another way emotional connections are created between them and your character.

One of my favorite questions to ask when doing a book club or other appearance before a small group is...**What is your favorite character in my novel and why?**  The answers I receive to this question provide valuable insight as to what attributes endear certain characters to the various types of readers. It is a truly rewarding experience when readers start referring to characters you’ve created as though they’re real people. When this happens, you know you’ve done your job well.  

# Simplicity #

The level of clarity in which you are able tell your story can either make or break you. Albert Einstein said, “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.”  Cut out the fluff and simply let your story do the talking. No matter how complex the story, you must make sure your reader can easily understand it. You achieve clarity by telling your story in the simplest language you can.  When working on the first draft, if you feel the need to try to impress your reader with a vast vocabulary of overly complicated words then chances are the concept of your story needs more work. 

Normally by the time an author reaches the end of the first draft of their first novel the quality of their writing becomes noticeably better.  Insights about your plot, characters and the story generally deepen.  For this reason, the first couple of chapters of your story should be thoroughly re-examined after the first draft is completed.  Often these first few chapters have to be heavily re-written so they mesh with the rest of your story.  It may seem sacrilege but it’s even appropriate to consider whether or not one or both of the first two chapters can be eliminated altogether.  Is your story leaner and more effective without these first few chapters? If so, they should go. 

When revising it is imperative that you make peace with the fact that anything in your story is expendable if it doesn’t contribute to your story as a whole. Even if it’s one of your favorite scenes, if it doesn’t work the scene must be cut out or revised so there’s more relevance. This was one of the most difficult things for me to become accustomed to. Becoming too emotionally invested in scenes that do not work for the greater good of your story are huge impediments to crafting fiction that you're proud of. To create a cohesive story you must make sure every seen scene connects with and resonates deeply with the scenes before and after them. 

# Plot Pacing #

A common plot related issue to look for while revising are pacing problems.  Pacing problems can sometimes be difficult for an author to see in their own work and for this reason many may be found by beta readers or even by a professional editor.  Pacing issues are usually slow spots in your scenes where the action drags or, less often scenes that are all action and no substance. The best cure for “slow scene syndrome” is to eliminate unnecessarily long sentences, tighten up excessive wordy descriptions, and liven up boring dialog. 

Another culprit of slow scenes is too much narration at once. Page after page of narration is a sure way to bore your reader and a good remedy for this is to infuse variety some engaging dialogue into the scene. The proper mix of narration and dialogue will keep things interesting and the plot moving forward. A great test of whether a scene needs to be cut or altered it is to make a list of three reasons why that scene exists. If you can’t come up with three good reasons it exists cut it...it simply must go. 

You will find some scenes in your story that move too quickly and leave feeling like they might need more substance. You must find a way to infuse more depth into these scenes. This is accomplished best by showing rather than telling. Use your character’s attitude, facial expressions and body language to convey things like their personality, fears and motivations. You can also add some suspense and detail of the setting or other characters in the scene, these things will slow the scene down, add depth, and also engage the reader. 

The revision process can be hard and humbling work for a writer. Taking a scalpel to your beloved story is one of the most difficult things you will do. Chances are the excitement you originally felt when writing the first draft begins to fade; you are questioning your ability, and the whole process starting to feel like a chore. If you’re anything like me you will eventually get to the point where your spirit is nearly broken and you feel like your entire story is crap. When this happens it’s important to step away and just simply take a break. Do a strenuous workout, mow the lawn, take the dog for a walk or whatever it takes to get you out of this negative frame of mind.  Begin again, when you’re in a more positive mood and everything will seem better. 

## <center> *Stay tuned for the final installment of REWRITE, coming soon!* </center> ##

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*I am an American novelist, poet, traveler, and crypto-enthusiast.  If you’ve enjoyed my work please sign up for my author newsletter at [my website.](http://www.ericvancewalton.net) Newsletter subscribers will receive exclusive updates and special offers and your information will never be sold or shared.*

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