As writers, we can so easily get carried away with our own plot (and concentrating, rightly, on not getting involved in irrelevant side issues), that we can forget what would be happening to our characters in the real world. You might think it would be impossible to miss out Christmas, but actually it’s a surprisingly easy mistake to make.

santa

So it’s worth a quick check: if your novel runs over a year, say, have you at least mentioned the passing of bonfire night, Independence Day, Easter, Christmas and (insert your own country’s celebrations here!)? If your characters are at school, did they have summer holidays at the right time? If you have omitted special times and seasons, will it seem odd to your readers? Might they be thinking, huh, what happened to Christmas?

So here’s a quick but essential writing tip for any writer this week . . . check the timing of your novel.

If your story is set in the real world, it will not be happening in a vacuum.

Why not write a time line from beginning to end of your novel, and check everything works out on the calendar? Believe me, mistakes with timing happen a lot, so I hope doing this exercise will save you some embarrassment!

Janet Wilson, founder of Dernier Publishing and Write for a Reason
Janet Wilson, founder of Dernier Publishing and Write for a Reason

Have a great week,

 

Janet

 

P.S. This tip is for anyone who writes fiction, so do feel free to pass it on to your friends!

 

 

Don’t Miss Christmas!
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