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Capt
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Apr 9 2010, 11:40 AM
Post #1
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Administrator
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Major Things: -- An FAQ.
I actually don't think we'll have to revise this much.
- Flow
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If you have seen Disney’s “Pocahontas”, you should remember the song, “Just around the River Bend.” Pocahontas sings it as she paddles along a river. Think for a moment—do you remember Pocahontas hitting an enormous rock, falling into the water, and drowning? Or do you remember her coming to the end of the world and falling off? If you do, you need to watch the movie again. She, most certainly, does NOT die during that song.
Unfortunately, this is what happens to some readers of your stories as they “paddle” along. They hit a point where something doesn’t a make sense and they stop reading, or they abruptly run out of story and fall off the edge.
That is what we’re going to talk about in this chapter—letting your story flow.
Section 1 – Maps are everything!
Have you ever began writing a story and gotten a fair way into it and then suddenly realized that you did*’t know what to do next? Some people refer to this as, ‘Writing yourself into a corner’. Actually, this problem is easily avoided if you spend a few minutes before you start writing at a key stage in the writing process, appropriately titled, “pre-writing”.
This can be as simple as creating a basic outline of key plot points, or you can get as detailed as outlining each individual chapter. However you choose to do this, the few minutes you spend at this point can save you from a major headache later.
You may be thinking, “But I prefer to write as I imagine it.” This leads to another problem within your story, that I call Extremely Rambling Syndrome. Without some sort of plan, your story will branch off at every chance it gets into something random that isn’t necessary. As a rule, every word within your story should advance it one step closer to the resolution. Sub-plots ought to be worked into the main plot so that they don’t distract the reader from the main plot. If something doesn’t accomplish this purpose, throw it out! Your readers will appreciate your discretion.
I am not saying that you have to plan ever detail of your story before hand. Marking out a basic path, however, will help you to create a story that is as long and concise as it needs to be. Does anyone really want to sift through a bunch of trash to find the treasure hidden beneath? I don’t know about you, but I prefer to keep my hands clean.
Section 2 -- Flowing Past Obstacles and Around Bends Smoothly
As you move your story along, you should be coming to various things in the lives of your characters that affect them in some way. The affected could simply be their actions or it could even be as drastic as their personalities. These things could, potentially, change the flow of your story.
Everything that happens in your story should be described in detail. However, turning points in your story, things that could seriously alter the outcome, should be described in great detail. By doing this, you should be able to avoid any confusion amongst your readers.
On another note, your story should have varied speeds of flow. Sometimes things should move quickly, such as in a battle scene, and sometimes things should move more slowly, maybe whilst walking through a difficult forest.
Remember, during a battle scene, we expect that things should be moving at a fast pace. IT would be kind of odd if the opponent’* next move came 2 hours later. But also remember that, during other slower scenes, it would also be weird if we walked into a forest and instantly appeared on the other side.
The pace of your story can be altered by events in the plot sequence or simply by the amount of time you spend narrating. A relatively brief event can be expanded by the author depending on the amount of time they spend describing it. If it’s important, then you should probably do this. If an event isn’t important, then give us the basics and move along speedily.
I am not saying that you have to plan ever detail of your story before hand. Marking out a basic path, however, will help you to create a story that is as long and concise as it needs to be. Does anyone really want to sift through a bunch of trash to find the treasure hidden beneath? I don’t know about you, but I prefer to keep my hands clean.
Section 2 -- Flowing Past Obstacles and Around Bends Smoothly
As you move your story along, you should be coming to various things in the lives of your characters that affect them in some way. The affected could simply be their actions or it could even be as drastic as their personalities. These things could, potentially, change the flow of your story.
Everything that happens in your story should be described in detail. However, turning points in your story, things that could seriously alter the outcome, should be described in great detail. By doing this, you should be able to avoid any confusion amongst your readers.
On another note, your story should have varied speeds of flow. Sometimes things should move quickly, such as in a battle scene, and sometimes things should move more slowly, maybe whilst walking through a difficult forest.
Remember, during a battle scene, we expect that things should be moving at a fast pace. IT would be kind of odd if the opponent’* next move came 2 hours later. But also remember that, during other slower scenes, it would also be weird if we walked into a forest and instantly appeared on the other side.
The pace of your story can be altered by events in the plot sequence or simply by the amount of time you spend narrating. A relatively brief event can be expanded by the author depending on the amount of time they spend describing it. If it’s important, then you should probably do this. If an event isn’t important, then give us the basics and move along speedily.
Oh, and an FAQ...and more reserves.
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