Tag: plotting

What Went Wrong with Season 2 of "True Detective"? Cautionary Lessons for Writers

Most of the time, I try to use great writing as examples of what TO DO. But, some writing fails so epically, the best use of it is as a cautionary tale for other writers. We can use it to study what NOT to do. True Detective Season Two does just that. I hate writing …

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Time as a Literary Device: Unpacking the Parallel Timeline

One reason we might be tempted to use a flashback is to explain or to expound to artificially prop up weak characterization or a weak plot (the training wheel flashback). This is what good editors will cut. Then there is the other way to use time and that is time as a literary device. This is when our …

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Why Flashbacks Ruin Fiction

All of us will feel a NEED to explain why a character is moody, angry, broken, bawdy, whatever. DON’T. Resist the urge to EXPLAIN. In fact, if readers don’t know WHY, they will want to turn pages to find out WHY.

How to Manage Scenes in a Novel—Structure Part 8

As a fiction author, you will often feel like an acrobat spinning plates while standing on your head and juggling fiery chainsaws. There are so many components to keep track of, lest you end up down the Bunny Trail of No Return. Organization is key when it comes to being a successful novelist. Before we continue, …

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Is Your Story PRIMAL?—Anatomy of a Best-Selling Story Part 6

The plot is the foundation. Now what you construct on top of that foundation can be super-complex. Note I wrote complex NOT complicated.