A little more writerly advice

Here are a few truths I’ve learned the hard way:

  • Books will complicate themselves. They don’t need help.
  • The stronger a characters’ motivations are, the less artfully constructed patches are needed to save the plot. (I was only fooling myself!)
  • If an action doesn’t make emotional sense in the real world, it doesn’t make emotional sense in the book world.
  • Ask myself if real people talk like that.
  • Being mysterious doesn’t equal good storytelling. One can’t advance a plot just by withholding information from the reader.
  • The better the actual story, the less special effects (dragons, sex scenes, gruesome murders, dancing hamsters, etcetera) are needed to keep it moving.
  • If I have to stop the action and explain what’s going on, I need to check my work.

2014-02-03 20.01.53

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.