As you write your novel, always remember that it is for your readers. That sounds obvious, yet many novelists are not considerate of their readers.
What do I mean by being considerate? Simply making sure everything is clear.
1. When you begin a new section or chapter, make it instantly clear:
- which character you’re writing about
- the time
- the place
It is especially important to do this in a novel with multiple viewpoint characters. Don’t ever make the reader scratch her head wondering who she’s reading about.
At six o’clock Monday morning, Mark was pulling into InterCom’s parking lot.
Ellen gazed up at the soaring office building, wondering which floor Darren’s office was on. She checked her watch. It was only a few minutes past seven, yet masses of New Yorkers swept by on each side of her, as if she were an island in a stream. Would Darren be in yet? Ellen suddenly remembered his saying that he liked to get in early on Mondays. Straightening her shoulders, she went through the revolving door into the lobby.
2. When you get to something in your story that your readers won’t understand, it’s OK to simply explain it.
Here are two examples from the novel Disclosure, by Michael Crichton. The explanatory parts are in boldface.
Example #1:
He looked over his shoulder. Dave Benedict was coming up behind him. Benedict was a lawyer with a firm that handled a lot of high-tech companies. “Missed the seven-fifty, too, huh?” Benedict said.
Example #2:
. . . She ran her finger down the call book. “Don Cherry called twice about the Corridor, and you just got a rush call from Eddie in Austin.”
“Call him back.” Eddie Larson was the production supervisor in the Austin plant, which made cellular telephones. . . .
The most important thing to remember as you write your novel is that it’s not only OK but vital that you be clear at all times . . . and that it’s also OK to be straightforward about it.
Readers will complain when a novel is too complicated or unclear. They will never complain that a novel is too clear.
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