Sheila M. Averbuch - AuthorDec 8, 2022

I'm going to talk about the hardest thing you might be asked to do to your manuscript -- cut characters. (A thread). I swear I never would have tried this with my debut FRIEND ME if I hadn't been about to go on a week-long writing retreat where I had the time to try this crazy thing.

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Show threadSheila M. Averbuch - AuthorDec 8, 2022

I did, and it worked out fine. The story got better. I cut the first 2800 words of my manuscript & more or less started at chapter 3. Yeah, it was scary. But my agent told me the beginning was still too slow, and she was right. (I love Arturo, who I hope makes it back into another story of mine one day.)

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Show threadSheila M. Averbuch - AuthorDec 8, 2022

I discovered that when I cut characters, it makes the other relationships so much clearer, but also more precious. I write #middlegrade, so I don't want to have a cast of thousands when my reader could be between 8 and 12 years old.

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Show threadSheila M. Averbuch - Author

I'm encountering the same scary thing in my current total rewrite of my work in progress: characters are being left on the cutting room floor. It's fine, I know it's going to be fine, because I've done this before.

Have you ever cut or been advised to cut characters? Did you do it? Why or why not?

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Dec 8, 2022 at 10:43amWeb
Show threadAmber LoughDec 8, 2022
@sheilamaverbuch @bookstodon yes, I’ve had to cut and/or merge. It’s never fun.
Show threadSheila M. Averbuch - AuthorDec 8, 2022

@amberlough @bookstodon it feels like a little death – or murder

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Show threadAmber LoughDec 8, 2022
@sheilamaverbuch @bookstodon It reminds me of The Neverending Story, when the characters are wiped out by the Nothing.
Show threadSheila M. Averbuch - AuthorDec 8, 2022
@amberlough @bookstodon I don't know The Neverending Story...I should.
Show threadAmber LoughDec 8, 2022
@sheilamaverbuch @bookstodon There's the book, but I mostly meant the 80s Movie, which I grew up on.
Show thread藤井太洋, Taiyo FujiiDec 8, 2022
@sheilamaverbuch @bookstodon I did. In order to make the introduction shorter. I works well.
Show threadSheila M. Averbuch - AuthorDec 8, 2022
@taiyo @bookstodon Hurray!
Show threadL A Stinnett ~ SFF WriterDec 8, 2022
@[email protected]@[email protected] I’ve never cut characters as I have kept my stories to a max of five important characters to keep the writing easier. I’m a newbie writer and not ready to have a cast if thousands like GRR Martin. I have cut out scenes I thought were cool but ultimately did nothing to advance the plot.
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Show threadSheila M. Averbuch - AuthorDec 8, 2022
@lastinnett that sounds wise.
Show threadJohn J Delaney AuthorDec 8, 2022
@sheilamaverbuch @bookstodon I cut down from 50+ characters to 26 by going through and asking what do they add/ are they important.
My regret is killing off a sub character in A Dangerous Fossil that my wife really liked.
‘Nooooh, you can’t kill Xxxxxxxxx!’
Show threadSheila M. Averbuch - AuthorDec 8, 2022
@JohnJDelaney @bookstodon wow, that's quite a purge.