Fiction Which Sounds Like Non-Fiction -- Any Ideas?
After setting my historical novel aside for a month, I'm reading it again prior to further revisions.
The writing doesn't appall me (as it did with the last version of the novel two years ago) but I do notice a dry, reportage-like tone, as if this was a work of non-fiction rather than fiction. In short, the voice is off.
I can't say I'm surprised because I read a lot of non-fiction, including many history books about the times, events and people described in the novel (although only about 20% of what's in the novel is actually "true"). In that regard, I feel that the problem isn't with the dialogue, but with the narrative and exposition which sound "non-fictionish."
Are there any ideas out there about approaches that might help to get rid of the dry, reportage-like tone?
After setting my historical novel aside for a month, I'm reading it again prior to further revisions.
The writing doesn't appall me (as it did with the last version of the novel two years ago) but I do notice a dry, reportage-like tone, as if this was a work of non-fiction rather than fiction. In short, the voice is off.
I can't say I'm surprised because I read a lot of non-fiction, including many history books about the times, events and people described in the novel (although only about 20% of what's in the novel is actually "true"). In that regard, I feel that the problem isn't with the dialogue, but with the narrative and exposition which sound "non-fictionish."
Are there any ideas out there about approaches that might help to get rid of the dry, reportage-like tone?
), but I know a lot of people really like his work.