I think back to when I was a novice writer . . . and how
intimidating it was to not know what I should or should not write about. Oh, I don’t mean a plot or subject
matter. You know . . . those clichés and
language tags. I was told every
character needed a tag, like Scarlet had Fiddle de Dee in Gone With the
Wind. When a tag is overdone, it’s even
worse than never having had one.
The same theory coincides with putting every great idea or
clever bit of information you’ve been saving for a book. You know what I mean, don’t you? That data bank of cool, clever and unusual
historical facts or the stories Great Grandma and Grandpa told you parents, and
you thought, hmmm . . . I should put that
in a book.
Agents and editors have a sixth sense when it comes to what has
become known as the kitchen-sink novel.
I read a book where heroine, who was a history professor, loved
sharing historical tid-bits every chance she got. I think I got ten history lessons by the time
I finished the book. This information overload will kill a story. It’s my guess the author loves history and
sharing it . . . just don’t do it all in one book.
Another way the kitchen-sink attitude affects a book is if every
character has something ‘unusual’ or ‘special’ to share. For instance, the heroine shares her
expertise on how crystals are formed, the hero shares his infinite knowledge on
the Lewis and Clark travels, and then the villain comes along with a plethora
of information on the constellation and how it controls his actions. A reader just can’t get to the plot of the
story with so much information.
Maybe you create a character that wears a nineteen-twenties
detective hat that has a great history, and
you mention it several times because to you it’s a great item. Well, if your character is not a detective,
why the hat? Don’t throw these
red-herrings into your story unless they hold some meaning and further the
story. The item maybe colorful and quaint, but if it has no bearing on the
story, it shouldn’t be in it. Always ask
yourself if it serves a purpose other than you like it and it has a history.
Another kind of kitchen-sink novel is the one word rule. Don’t make a tag so dominate that the reader
starts cringing every time it’s mentioned.
A detective in another book always said ‘bloody’ for a tag. ‘Bloody good,’ bloody hell,’ ‘bloody
straight,’ etc. I never finished the
book.
Using a kitchen-sink scene suggests the author’s immaturity, and
will be noted by agents and editors and unfortunately your readers.
I suggest you put your best material in a book, but leave the
kitchen sink in the kitchen. We are all
tempted to put these ‘gems’ into our stories, we love them so why won’t our
reader, but use restraint. Better yet,
put them in when you first write the story, and remove them when you
revise. You’ll get it out of your system
and you’ll realize during the revision – it’s best left out of the book.
Oh, do make sure to put interesting facts in your book, just
make sure it serves a purpose, furthers the story, or is ‘key’ to solving the
plot. We all love to be surprised by
that crucial piece of information we missed, and weren’t hit over the head
with.
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