12 Jun 2025 2 min read Author Blog

Inconsistencies in Writing and How to Find Them

We're too close to our work. Identifying and fixing inconsistencies is the first step towards an immersive and cohesive story.

I revised my first two chapters of WIP about ten times. The most recent revision was so that I could share my work with the esteemed Heather Garrett, author of short stories in several literary publications.

I was lucky to read her work. I stand in the shadow of giants is not an understatement. Her short story left me rereading it, not once but twice more. I had to find every breadcrumb she had left that I had inevitably missed, as my poor reader's mind was taken on a clever narrative journey.

Her story was not only refreshing, but it also taught me about some of my unconscious biases and how I perceive.

Authors often leave signposts. Think about all you missed the first time you watched The Sixth Sense. Rewatching is the pleasure of finding every Easter egg now that the plot has been revealed.

If this is what works, what doesn't work?

Inconsistent character. He is simple-minded, but he possesses three incredibly intelligent traits that leave the reader with questions. Sometimes you can suspend belief, but more often the reader is left asking, "How did he happen upon that magical, mysterious information?"
Inconsistent perception of others. How did she know he was hungry? I, as the reader, am experiencing what she is experiencing, and I didn't think he was hungry. Watch out for abrupt changes in POV.
Inconsistent setting or movement. She was in the cupboard when we last saw her, but where did she go when she claimed to have been away for a while? And when did she come back? If the panther is next to him, and he is cautious, did it follow him into the next scene? When did it leave? Wouldn't that be important to our character?
Inconsistent delivery. The narrative voice keeps changing or switching. Is this a narrator, or am I in the character's head? Why does it go from narrated to full-on listening dialogue?

It may not be wrong, but there should be a good reason for it. Think of the ending of Monty Python's Holy Grail movie. Sure, they ran out of budget. Priceless ending. They left it blatantly obvious. But in the context of a novel, the reader would be disappointed by such a sudden and irreverent ending.