Getting your facts straight is as
important as great pacing and dialog.
All your reader needs to do is find is one fact they know is false – and
they’ll put your book down faster than a hot handled-skillet.
Yes, editors catch some of these, but it’s not up to the editor
to check for historical facts, gun specifics, or even when a ballpoint pen was
invented. (The first patent for a ballpoint pen was issued on 30 October 1888, to John J. Loud, a leather tanner, who was attempting to make a
writing instrument that would be able to write on his leather products, which
then-common fountain pens could not.)
You should never consider referring to experts as ‘most’ or ‘the
majority’ instead of presenting actual percentages or specifics. It’s more effective for the attorney in your
book to say, “Medical experts will agree that in ninety percent of all rape
cases. . .” instead of saying, “Most will agree that in a high percentage of
rape cases. . .” Assumption is the root
of all mistakes. It’s truly laziness to
write in generalities than specific facts.
Years ago it took a lot of time to find facts; it took book after book. Today there’s no reason for the lack of facts
– the internet is at your fingertips.
Keep this in mind; if you make historic or general fact errors
you can be pretty darn sure a reader won’t buy another one of your books. Why would you do this to yourself?
If you’re the kind of writer that doesn’t want to stop the flow
while writing, mark areas you want to go back and check facts later. It’s as simple as that.
You can expect an editor to catch many things while reading
through your manuscript, but don’t rely on them to catch the simple things;
spelling, lack of quotes, using wrong word, misspelled names, etc. You, the author should submit the
best-written book you possibly can.
Having said that, you also should never rely on your editor to
make sure all your facts are correct.
That’s your responsibility. If
they catch a fact error, you’re one lucky author.
So let’s consider the comment, “It’s fiction and I really don’t
have to worry about specific facts. It’s
all make-believe.” With that attitude
you should stop writing. A reader knows
a novel is fiction – they pretty much mean the same thing – but that doesn’t
mean you can take liberties with historical facts. Just the opposite is true. If you want to create believable characters
and plot the best way is to create believable scenes and facts surrounding your
story.
Here are some guidelines you should follow every time you write
a story. . .
·
whether you set the facts straight as the story unfolds or
·
after you’ve finished the book and are working on your first
edit and are smoothing all those rough edges.
1. Spell check.
2. Double check all historical facts
with multiple sources.
3. Be specific; what kind of tree,
flower, horse, treaty, etc.
4. Write tight – not every bit of
interesting information you’ve found must be included in your story.
5. A pet-peeve of mine - watch those
long sentences. I’ve read books where
each paragraph has turned into a long sentence – with commas for pauses. Say what??
6. And finally, have your facts
straight.
