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Instructor: David M. Fitzpatrick     Email: indy {at} fitz42 {dot} net
 

Writer's Glossary - E

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ebook or e-book

Abbreviation for electronic book.

Edgar Allan Poe Award

Writing award named for the "MWA's patron saint, Edgar Allan Poe," this award is given to mystery writers by the Mystery Writers of America.

editor

A publication's representative who reads and possibly critiques manuscripts sent to him. He is generally the person who decides whether or not to accept—and thus pay for—a submitted piece. Some publications have several levels of editors and may require prospective acceptances to clear multiple people—for instance, a fiction editor may accept a manuscript and pass it on to the publisher. A magazine could have a Science Fiction Editor, a fantasy Editor, and a horror Editor, all of whom forward their picks to a General Editor.

There are other unique editorial practices out there. A few edit by committee—meaning two or more editors on equal standing must agree on a story before it can be accepted, theoretically increasing the chances of publishing only the best material, or material appealing to a wider audience.

electronic book

A written work produced electronically, using a format readers can view on computers.

Electronic books are popular for downloading as readers can load them into portable computers or e-readers and read them anywhere. There are inherent difficulties in copyright protection as it is quite easy to duplicate a work and send it to a friend. Many people are dissatisfied with electronic books at this point in time as it is hard to curl up with a good book if it is on a computer screen. Even small portable devices haven't found a comfortable place with the majority of readers quite yet. Recent technological advances have demonstrated ways to simulate real books, including electronic paper bound into what looks just like a book—the pages are liquid crystal sheets and you turn them just as a regular book. We shall have to wait and see.

electronic publication

A release of material in electronic form, either as an electronic book or in some other generally computer-related medium.

electronic submission

A method for sending material to a potential publisher electronically, usually as raw text within or as a file attachment to email. Other methods include uploading files to a publisher's Web site via FTP or a custom submission page. Some accept files on computer disk. More and more publishers every day are accepting submissions this way; those that do not often require it once a printed version has been accepted, as a document is easier to work with from editor to typesetter.

elements of a story

The basic mechanics that make up a story. To answer the who-what-when-where-why-how aspects:

  • Plot — WHAT happens in the story, and WHY it happens
  • Action — HOW the plot happens
  • Characters — WHO it happens to, or WHO is involved in the story.
  • Protagonist — WHO the main character is (usually "the hero")
  • Antagonist — WHO the main character, force, or idea is that opposes the protagonist or impedes his progress
  • Character flaws — WHAT personal challenges a character has that impedes his progress
  • Character motivation — WHY the protagonist (or other character) cares about participating in the plot
  • Conflict — WHAT happens to impede the character from success
  • Setting — WHEN and WHERE it happens
  • Backgrounds — The fine details that bring the setting to life
  • Theme — also can contribute to WHY it happens
  • Climax — The final scene in which the plot achieves resolution and the protagonist changes
  • Resolution — WHAT the final culmination of the plot is; the protagonist should participate in the resolution
  • Change — WHAT happens to the protagonist after the resolution; he should change or grow so that he's a different person in some way

Ellery Queen Award

Writing award given my the Mystery Writers of America, "established in 1983 to honor writing teams and outstanding people in the mystery-publishing industry."

email or e-mail

Abbreviation for electronic mail. Electronic medium for sending material. A growing method for submitting material to potential publishers.

esub or e-sub

Abbreviation for electronic submissions.

episode

An episode is a story that is related to other similar stories, usually referring to a television show. However, any series of related books are episodes—as are any series of short stories with related characters and situations.

exclusivity period

A contract clause designating a specified length of time, or range of dates, during which a publisher has the exclusive right to publish a writer or artist's work. During that time, it is a breach of contract for the writer or artist to allow the work to be published anywhere else. After the exclusivity period is passed, all rights generally revert back to the owner.

exposition

A way to convey events to the reader without showing them, specifically when relaying details about things which occurred before the story began or happened "off-stage," so to speak. Exposition is easy to overuse; remember, action is what counts—show the events, don't tell about them.

There are times when you won't want to do this, of course. Some bits of information are integral to the story but don't need to be acted out, such as historical references. If your characters are hunting for artifacts at a Civil War battlefield in the year 2002, it isn't necessary to use flashbacks to show what happened in 1863; they can talk about it. Now, if this were a time travel story, and the characters are searching for artifacts after having been to 1863 and that battlefield, during the battle, in their time machine, it would be a crime to have them talk about it rather than you show it.

Exposition has a time and place; learn to discern when you should use it..

 

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