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Okay people, so I just finished my WIP— an 852 page 496,034 word monster of an epic fantasy. And now I’m editing it before I send it out to be torn to shreds by my beta readers. 😛 😉
I’ve got something I wanna tell everyone else out there who hasn’t already made this mistake.
As I worked through the story, it immediately became evident I had a pretty big problem. The story wasn’t one long chain of falling dominoes. Instead, I had POCKETS of dominoes that would fall against each other and not really affect the next pocket.
Bad. Watch out for this carefully, because it’s incredibly easy to miss. The single most important key to a riveting plot is an unbroken chain of falling dominoes.There are several basic ways to make sure your plot is quick and tight and gripping, without any excess to slow it down.
One: make sure that for every action there is an immediate storyline-consequence that pushes the story further down the road. Every action. Every plot-twist. Make sure you don’t have extra consequences that don’t do anything to further the story. Make sure every plot-twist/discovery/death/battle/struggle/revelation is one more strong push towards the finish line.
Two: recycle characters. Don’t add in a new character if the hostler or the stableboy or the judge or the king’s chamberlain from a few chapters back will do just as well.
Three:…
… yes, I know I had a third point. Where did it go… eh, I’ll let you know if it comes back.*clears throat loudly* So, yes! Watch your plotline for unconnected dominoes!
@kate-flournoy
Okay, wow! This is so good! Amen, sister… 🙂A dreamer who believes in the impossible...and dragons. (INFJ-T)
@kate-flournoy Yeah, totally get that. One thing I’ve started the habit of doing is keeping a list of all the little things that could become important later. Never just let it drop when the character sticks something in their pocket, meets a stranger or something little like that. 😛
@kate-flournoy, Good to know! I know I’ve said this before, but thanks for sharing your mistakes with us so we don’t make the same ones. 🙂 Congratulations on finishing your novel!!!!!
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Good advice @kate-flournoy ! Are you looking for beta readers for when you are finished editing it?
Hey, glad it was helpful guys! I should just start a topic called ‘mistakes’ and post all the writing mistakes I make in that one. 😉
@Jadamae… well… I’ve got several lined up already, but I’m not about to turn anyone away if they’re interested… 😀 I just hate shoving my work off on other people so I don’t like to ask. 😛 😉
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@kate-flournoy
*gasp*
that’s. a. lot. of. pages.
okay tell me when you publish it because i WILL BUY IT.
also you’re totally right about the recycling characters. the wheel of time series by robert jordan (which i recommend on the quality of writing, however there were some *clears throat* interesting things which showed up. it’s an adult book, and that becomes clear) does the recycling thing and it makes me love it so much. the plot is so intricate that the guy you saw walking on the street a few books ago turns out to be the king who has a tyrant son and got kicked out of his own kingdom.
it’s amazing.
anyway, yes please tell me when it’s published i will BUY YOUR BOOKThat’s one of the reasons I love the Count of Monte Cristo so much. No waste. Everything is used. Did I mention I like that book? I like that book.
🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢
Wow @zoe-wingfeather… I definitely was NOT expecting to get any potential customers at this stage of the book! 😛 I’ll be sure to tell you, though it won’t be published for quite a while…
Yes, @Daeus— Count of Monte Cristo is the perfect example of reusing plot points and characters. It’s so wonderfully complicated! The only thing I might say wasn’t reused was Luigi Vampa’s backstory, and for that I’m kinda glad, actually… 😛 Some bits of that were… eh… a little rattling.
Wait @Daeus— you like that book? Wow. I… I’m just… I never would have guessed. 😛
@kate-flournoy I’m think htat a book with multiple story line might be a couple of lines of dominos, slightly intertwined, maybe splitting and combining again? Or am I just taking the analogy too far now?
No @anna-brie, that sounds just about right! 😀
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