Gems for Writers List

• Allegory—Does the author use allegorical aspects in the story? [Think C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia—Aslan as Christ, his sacrifice, and resurrection.]

• Atmosphere—Does the author create a pervasive tone or mood throughout the story (gothic, gloomy, idyllic, etc.)?

• Bait-and-Switch—Is the reader completely drawn into one line of thinking, only to be shocked by a surprise ending with unexpected elements? [A good example of this is the ending of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, or, more recently, Megan Curd’s Steel Lily.]

• Characterization—How well does the author describe the characters in the story? Consider many aspects—physical descriptions, personal struggles, personality traits. Use this gem to highlight many characters at once. Where this element creates or redefines an established archetype, it overlaps with World Building.

• Classic Inspiration—Does the book have ties to a work from the canon of so-called “classics?” Does it revisit an old story that has been told many times? If so, what elements of the classic does it retain and what new twists does it put on an old (perhaps over-told) tale? [See the Spotlight on The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein by Kenneth Oppel.]

• Conflict(s)—No story exists without conflict. Does the book have just one conflict or many? Are there background conflicts that create atmospheric tension or affect the characters in some way? How do many conflicts play off one another? Are they all resolved in the end, and is the resolution believable or too quick?

• Culture of Setting—Beyond the physical descriptions of a setting, cultural elements help the reader imagine the way that the characters live. Are social customs, mourning traditions, a class system, or other cultural elements described? [See Spotlight on Fire by Kristin Cashore, or on Saving Mars by Cidney Swanson.]

• Description—Do descriptive passages help bring the story to life, or does the story bog down in the details? Are descriptive passages used in an unorthodox way, such as a tool for characterization? [See the Spotlight on The Monstrumologist Series by Rick Yancey]

• Dystopian Elements—Dystopia is being published more and more commonly, and many stories that are not classically dystopian contain some elements of this subgenre. How does the book utilize classic dystopian elements, or what new elements does it bring to light? [See “Dystopia 101” for a short list of classic dystopian elements.]

• Evolution of a Character or Characters—Similar to the Characterization gem, but with a different scope. Use this to explore a single character whose character arc is particularly well done, especially over the course of a series rather than a single book. [See Spotlights on Graceling and Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore, or on Mars Burning by Cidney Swanson.]

• Food for Thought—Similar to Political or Social Commentary/Satire gems, but less specific. Does the book leave the reader thinking about deeper meanings in the story or connections to our society? Does it make the reader think about his or her own life? [See Spotlight on The Curse Workers Trilogy by Holly Black.]

• Genre-Blending—Does the author blend more than one subgenre, such as dystopia with steampunk, religious fantasy with post-apocalyptic elements, or similar? [See Spotlight on Steel Lily by Megan Curd.]

• Genre-Breaking—Does the book break out of the boundaries of its subgenre—perhaps create a new one?

• Historical Tie-In—Does the book use or reference real historical people or events? Although historical fantasy and alternate history are both speculative subgenres of their own, any book can contain this gem. [See Spotlight on The Alchemyst by Michael Scott.]

• Magical Realism—Does the book feature magical elements in the real world or perhaps parallel worlds? Consider the Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling.  [See Spotlight on Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers.]

• Magical Systems/Types/Rules—Is there a unique or specific magical system in place? Does that system have specific boundaries in place and can those boundaries be challenged or broken? Are there consequences for breaking the rules of the magical system? [See Spotlight on The Curse Workers Trilogy by Holly Black or on Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. Also consider “World-Building: Rules of Majick.”]

• Maps—Does the book include maps? Are the geographical references consistent? [See “World-Building: Maps” and Spotlight on Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore.]

• Metaphor—Similar to Allegory.

• Mood(s)—Similar to Atmosphere. What tools does the author use to set the mood?

• Mythological/Folkloric/Fairy-Tale Tie-In or Retelling—Does the story incorporate elements of mythology or retell a fairy tale? Consider the TV show Once Upon a Time or movies like Brave, Snow White and the Huntsman, or Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters.

• Pacing—Is the story evenly paced? Does it drag in places? Are there enough quiet moments to allow the reader to catch their breath or is the action nonstop?

• Plotting—Is the plot believable, or are there twists or holes that require suspension of disbelief?

• Point of View/Narrative Voice—Does the story have a unique, unexpected, or unorthodox narrator? What do we know about the narrator? [See Spotlight on Far Far Away by Tom McNeal.]

• Political Commentary/Satire—Similar to the Food for Thought gem, but with a smaller scope.

• Races—Not necessarily race as color-of-skin. Does the story have animals or other species that are unorthodox and/or nonexistent in our world? Are these species described so that the reader can get a mental picture of them? [See Spotlight on Fire by Kristin Cashore.]

• Romantic Plotlines—Is romance a part of the story? Is it natural or does it feel tacked on? What part does it play in the plot?

• Setting—Does the reader have a clear idea of where the story takes place, both in space and time? If the setting is entirely fictional, is it described well enough for the reader to develop a mental picture/map? If the setting is a real place, do the geographical details match? [See also Maps.]

• Smoke and Mirrors—Similar to Bait-and-Switch, but much more subtle and nuanced. This describes a book where secrets are revealed slowly so that the reader doesn’t see the whole picture until close to the end. [See Spotlight on The Coldness of Marek by Rachel O’Laughlin.]

• Social Commentary/Satire—Similar to the Food for Thought gem, but with a smaller scope.

• Steampunk Elements—Steampunk is one of the most rapidly-rising subgenres of speculative fiction, and stories don’t need to be strictly steampunk to have steampunk elements. [See “Steampunk 101” for a short list of classic steampunk elements.]

• Style (Tone/Imagery/Voice)

• Suspense

• Theme(s)

• Timeline/Flashbacks—Think Cloud Atlas. The story seamlessly weaves together many plotlines that are all interconnected.

• Uniqueness of Plot/Ingenuity—Is the plot new or overdone? A rehashing of a recent literary craze, or something new and completely different?

• Use of Action—Is the story driven by constant action, as in The Lord of the Rings or The Hunger Games? Are there quiet moments that allow the reader to catch their breath?

• World Building—This is a biggie on The Bearded Scribe. As writers, it’s our bread and butter. Discuss how well the author creates and populates the world in which the story takes place. Believable? Realistic?