Fiction Faults Checklist

Ray Nelson, science fiction writer

Ray Nelson is a science fiction writer and inventor born in New York in 1931. Over his writing career he published dozens of short stories and 10 novels.

His short story 8 O'Clock in the Morning was turned into the comic book story Nada, and Nada was made into the paranoid cult classic movie They Live in 1988. He is also famously (or infamously) credited with inventing the “propeller beanie” when he was in high school.

Nelson compiled on his website a checklist of fiction faults from his perspective as a reader, but he didn’t stop there. He also added tips and suggestions on what to do about them.

To mention a few of these faults / tips, Nelson says, “In the beginning, I do not like premature flashbacks.” He suggests, “Don’t tell me about the past until I am worried about the present.”

He also says narration in the present tense is tricky to use. “Though some modern writers use it, they pay for it in obtrusiveness. Stick to the simple past tense unless you have very good reason not to.”

As for characters, Nelson says he doesn’t like “A passive protagonist who is, at best, a spectator and, at worst, a professional victim.” He says, “Select someone more suitable to be a protagonist, or give your present protagonist some spunk.”

Nelson also underscores the problems with “dream endings”, showers of trivia and clichés. Check out the entire list, here: http://raynelson.com/fictionfaults.html.