Writers are a wordy bunch. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that writers have their own vernacular, or collection of vocab which they regularly use. If you are new to the writing community, or the publishing industry generally, you may be unfamiliar with the acronyms or titles used. Most of these terms are straightforward, though they can look weird to newbie writers.
Whether it’s an acronym or an actual writing title, understanding these terms can bring you closer to also understanding the writing (and reading) communities you hope to be apart of. It goes without saying that you’ll want to participate in these communities through your social media channels of choice—a large part of selling your work is marketing, and solid marketing stands on the foundation that is the community you’ll need to build.
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1) WIP
The first acronym on this list, the term “WIP” simply stands for “work in progress.” When writers use the term, they are referring to ongoing projects they have not yet completed. This could mean they’re still writing it, or that they are in the process of editing those first drafts. The term generally doesn’t refer to a finished work, unless the writer has an ongoing series.
It’s not uncommon for writers to have multiple works in progress, or WIPS, and it’s a common ailment for writers to lose interest in one WIP, and abandon it for work on a second WIP.
2) OC
“OC” refers to “original character.” It might seem like a redundant term initially, but authors use this to separate their work from that of fanfiction, or to indicate that a character within a fanfiction work is one they’ve invented. For example, if you choose to write a story where Draco Malfoy is the love interest but the protagonist is a character of your own making, that protagonist would be known as an OC.
OC’s can also be referenced within an original work as a quick hand way to mention your characters, and the term can come up in writing related questions: some writers on instagram like to ask questions, such as, “What is your OC’s favourite animal?” You can then answer these questions in the hope of connecting with other writers, hearing about new series, or showcasing your own character.
Finally, if you are posting about your protagonist, an original character, or sharing your own fiction online, “OC” can be used as a hashtag for other writers and readers to locate your work.
3) MC
The term “MC” can seem interchangeable with “OC,” but there’s a key difference. “OC” refers to an “original character,” but “MC” stands for “main character.” An MC can be an original character, or it could be the hero of another story. If you choose to write a Harry Potter fanfiction in which Hermione is the hero, she will be the MC, even if she is not an OC. She won’t be the MC of the original series, though some could argue she is a MC because of her status as a main character.
MC can be treated as a shorthand way for saying “protagonist” or “hero of the piece.” MC’s may, or may not be, OC’s.
4) NaNoWriMo
NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month. It is an annual challenge, hosted in November, in which people try to complete a novel within a month. NaNoWriMo has a website which features the rules, lists milestones you can reach, and which allows you to submit writing to “prove” you’ve accomplished your goals in exchange for badges. If you manage to win the challenge, it gives you bragging rights in the community. What’s more, the website also includes resources on editing your manuscript at the end of the month.
Though most novels are 80,000 words or longer, the official word count writers reach for is 50,000. You can complete the challenge without finishing an actual book, though many will strive to come away with a completed manuscript.
For writers serious about tackling the challenge, a daily word count is recommended. Writers should also take their mental health and other obligations into account. No writer is required to participate; it’s a fun challenge designed to push writers into actually writing, but it should never be done at the expense of one’s well being or responsibilities. Even if one doesn’t win the competition, reaching a certain word count or completing the first third of a book can still be gratifying.
5) Fictober
Similar to NaNoWriMo, Fictober is specific to one month of the year. Fictober takes place in October, and if publishing spooky stories online during the month of Halloween, it’s not a bad idea to include “fictober” as a hashtag. It’s an excuse to write, and have fun with it. October, or Fictober, is a month to be inspired.
Though one can simply publish their short stories or poems at random, there are challenges related to the event which can be nearly as demanding as NaNoWriMo. Tumblr has an account known as fictober-event, which has a dialogue prompt for each day of October. Responding to these, writers can then write a short story (length is entirely up to the author) for each prompt, coming away with as many as thirty one short stories at the month’s conclusion. By including a specific hashtag, the author’s short story, provided instructions are followed and the story is appropriate by the account’s standards, will then be reblogged on their page. It’s a simple way to generate some exposure for your work, especially if the following for your own account is small.
October, in general, seems to be a month for inspiration. Writers aren’t the only ones to revel in the month, with artists and gamers additionally enjoying the “spirit” of things. Those who draw have “inktober,” and gamers in love with the Sims series can participate in “simstober.”
6) Beta Readers
Though some people choose to use family members or friends as proofreaders, many will also recommend against this. The main reason authors are dissuaded from using friends or family members is because of how close they are to the author; if they’re afraid of hurting a loved one’s feelings, they won’t be as honest as they should be. They might offer a lukewarm “this is good” when they actually mean “I found this pretty boring” and they may say “this part was alright” when they actually wanted to say “I hated this part.” They mean well, but if you don’t receive honest critiques you’ll come away thinking your work is better than it actually is.
The second reason friends or family members can be unreliable is because they won’t all be your target reader. You might be a YA fantasy writer, but if your mother reads murder mysteries for forty somethings, and your sister only consumes romantic comedies or regency romances, they won’t be able to offer advice specific to your genre. In fact, they might not enjoy your book at all, even if it is well written, because it’s not their cup of tea and this will effect their perception of it’s quality.
Of course, others might argue that friends and family members can still be useful, especially if one reaches out to other beta readers afterwards. If your friends are writers or editors, they’ll at least know what they’re talking about. Other friends may also be outspoken, and therefore unafraid of hurting your feelings. If you’re apart of a writing circle in which everyone is comfortable both receiving and giving feedback, these friends can prove invaluable. Having friends who read your type of story is also relevant; if you have a younger sister who voraciously consumes YA, she’ll quickly tell you if your love interests are hot enough and whether or not your creatures are exciting or boring.
Whoever you choose to use, beta readers should always be utilized before professional editors are hired. Beta readers of any kind will catch more obvious mistakes; though not obvious to you, these will be painfully clear to an editor and will waste not only their time but your money. The more basic edits you can make before hiring an editor, the more time your editor can devote to less surface level issues.
7) Developmental Editor
A developmental editor is the first major player in revision, after beta readers. They’re the ones responsible for looking at the structure of your plot, and will make suggestions to cut scenes, switch scenes, combine characters, and so on. These will be the biggest changes your manuscript receives, which is why it’s better to leave any heavy proofreading or line editing until after this step is complete. After all, if you invest in having your prose edited, only for the developmental editor to have you delete five chapters, you will have wasted time and money polishing passages nobody will ever see.
The developmental editor looks at the big picture. They look at character arcs. They evaluate whether or not the emotional beats are hitting as they should. They will point out if your pacing is off, and will make suggestions on how to improve it (whether that be cutting out the fluff to take away the lag, or including more character development to stop the story from feeling rushed).
If there are any major plot holes, these will also be addressed.
8) Line Editor
After the developmental editor, the line editor looks at the writing itself. They will have you edit your paragraphs, swapping out words, changing the flow of paragraph and sentence structure, cutting words or combining them to make a passage more concise, and so on. If the same point can be made in one sentence instead of three, the line editor will point this out to you.
This is the stage where you strengthen the prose itself. While the story is the most important element, making the developmental editor the major player, how the story is told is still vital. If you skimp out on improving your prose, you run the risk of having a good story but writing mistakes which pull the reader out of your world. Redundant phrases and repeated words can ruin the experience for some readers, and a good editor will catch these faux pas.
9) Proofreader
The proofreader sounds like a small job after the major edits have been made, but they’re still critical to giving your book that final polish. Many authors make the mistake of thinking that catching typos and fixing punctuation is all editing is, but such tinkering should be the final step in the process.
A proofreader will catch any typos, weird punctuation, or other errors before the book goes to print. Nobody is perfect; even the Harry Potter series has typos in it, though a proofreader can assure your book has one typo instead of twenty. Typos aren’t a big deal, but they can be jarring for readers—especially if they occur too often. It’s not just words spelled wrong, but typos can include the absence of words (as a reader I’ve encountered these, and have been forced to reread a sentence three times to understand what the author meant; it happens to traditionally published books, but if it occurs too much it’s frustrating for the reader and wrecks what would otherwise have been a beautiful sentence).
In Conclusion
Whether it be the acronyms used or the actual terms you’ll need to know within the industry, there are plenty of words writers should be familiar with. There are so many, in fact, that not all could be included on this list. Next week, I’ll explore the other six terms authors should be familiar with.
Did you know all of these terms? Which surprised you the most? Sound off in the comments.