The Busy Writer's Book of Checklists Read Online Free

in the reader's mind so they do a lot of the work in filling in details
themselves?
    #  If your story is set in a specific
geographic region or a real town, have you got the details right? (Flora,
fauna, city streets, small towns, roads, airports etc. - unless you made up the
town.)
    #  Have you researched the details of
any background/setting that requires specialist knowledge? (Technology,
weapons, terrorism, careers & jobs, antiques, cars, planes, etc.)
    #  If one or more of your main
characters has a demanding job, have you given a realistic portrayal of the
time needed to do this job? (e.g. Don't have your male Lead being the CEO of a
multi-national company if you need to show him being available to the heroine
at all times of the day.)
    #  Have you blended in details of
professional settings (and convincing dialogue related to the profession)
without boring the reader with too much jargon?
    #  Have you used Google maps or search
engine capabilities to 'visit' countries, cities, houses, venues, etc.? (E.g.
use accommodation directories to look inside rooms in hotels, to research lives
of the rich and famous, and so on.)
    #  Have you got a handy research file
to refresh your memory about your setting and background? (Have
photos/brochures on hand or browser windows open; keep a setting information
sheet beside you.)
    #  Do you vary the setting in different
scenes, to maintain interest and give the impression that your characters are
on the move?
    #  Have you got too many different
locales and settings, so the reader constantly has to learn about somewhere
new?

Checklist 8 – Setting Information
Sheet
    Start by using Google Earth, Google Maps,
and Google Images to ‘visit’ your locale and find out what it looks like. Then
see what else you can find out about your chosen setting (geographical and/or
professional) by searching for articles, business reports, AGM minutes, forum
posts or whatever it takes.
    The following checklist is a useful basis.
Add as many points as you feel necessary to make your setting authentic.
    #  Name of city/town/place and
population (it can be fictional)
    #  Broader geographic region: Which
country/state?
    # What are the general impressions on
first sight? (Keep your characters in mind. A military scout might get a
different first impression from a resident or tourist.)
    #  Climate / Flood risk / drought /
other weather conditions
    #  First impressions of locals (again
through the eyes of your character[s])
    #  Layout of city/town/place (sketch or
print out a map)
    #  Style and age of buildings in main
street (tip: if fictional, pick a similar town/city that really exists and use
this as a template)
    #  Style and age of residences (might
need to break this up into different socio-economic neighborhoods in some
towns/cities – write down names and descriptions)
      - Affluent suburbs/streets
      - Average-income suburbs
      - Poor suburbs/streets
    #  Type of law enforcement
    #  Typical crimes/crime rate
    #  Daily/weekly newspapers; appropriate
newspaper from largest nearby city
    #  Entertainment and Sporting Venues;
Shopping Malls; Strip Malls; small-town stores
    #  Transportation available (or lack of
it) - buses, trains, boats, taxis, airports, cars (types and age).
    #  Gathering places for different age
groups: clubs, cafes, restaurants, library, cinema, social services
    #  Main form of entertainment for
locals through the eyes of the main characters
    #  Sensory impressions (for various
areas of the town and buildings: include local industries or farming community
if applicable): smells/aromas; typical weather; quality and quantity of
food/coffee/alcohol available; places of beauty/eyesores; sounds or noises
associated with area; other.
    #  Local flora and fauna

Checklist 9 – Subplots
    Before we move on to the subplots
checklist, here are a few tips that may help you create a subplot that will
work well in your novel. 
    ** Search for subplots in published
novels