Fiction Plotting 2/4

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Fiction Plotting 2/4

By: PEAbresch

BookMarc  –  Plotting Fiction

    Part 2/4

In part one of the discussion on plotting, we said the

more obstacles Protag overcomes through tenacity and

ingenuity--traits readers identify with--the more intense will

be their desire to see Protag to succeed. But everything, all

the difficulties and successes, must play as real life.

(Protag short for out protagonist)

We've all seen television shows where everything that

possibly can go wrong, does, even to the point of nonsense.

The problem with just making everything go wrong is it becomes

an obvious device. Instead of building suspense, it yanks the

rug from underneath it. It's like listening to a dull

sermon, while the preacher's droning on and on while

we're thinking lunch. There is also the danger of reader

fatigue setting in. Occasionally something should break in

the hero's favor.

The other thing about television shows is that even when

they build up a modicum of suspense, they screw it up

cliché obstacle. Have you ever seen a hero rush from one

place to another or head for the airport w/o running into a

traffic jam? You’ve heard of gratuitous sex? Meet

gratuitous obstacles. Both rob our story of authenticity. If

you’ve brought your reader into a state of suspense,

don’t risk it all with a cliché traffic jam.

Instead try to ratchet the main theme tighter till it crackles

at the breaking point.

Let’s take an example from Dean Koontz’s

Ticktock. In the climactic chapter, with a beast advancing

across the livingroom to devour the hero, Koontz wants to

stretch out the moment for the reader’s pleasure. Does

he bring in a traffic-jam cliche? Chandelier suddenly falls

in the way? Floorboards break without warning? No, Koontz

does it naturally and cleverly by simply adding a few

paragraphs to describe the beast in detail as it advances, the

eyes, the sound it makes, the way it moves and how it

smells--sight, sound, smell, taste, touch. What's the

result? One part of our mind is absorbed with the

beast's appearance while the other part is screaming for

the hero to get the hell out.

What matters is not how we do it, but the finesse with

which it's done. Once the device becomes obvious,

it's as effective as a lawyer teaching ethics. A

politician lecturing on truth?

    Also, everything must be logical.

When our hero returns to his apartment and hears someone

scurrying about inside, it might be good for our story for him

to climb out a window over the balcony to catch the bad guy,

but why not just call the police? Why would he put himself in

jeopardy? It also might be good for our story if someone

clicks on his revolver's safety, but there ain't no

safeties on revolvers. Story line must always follow real

world logic rather than trying to alter real world logic to

follow story line. Once we lose credibility with our readers,

they may not walk with us again.

Oooo-kay, with the preliminaries out of the way,

we're ready for Protag to tackle Plot-line Mountain which

is the subject of BookMarc #11, part 3/4 of Plot.

For upcoming subjects click on Table of Contents at top of

page.

August 16, 2014

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Will

Peter E. Abresch is the author of Easy Reading Writing, which you can get from Amazon.com (or the first link below). But don't miss out on Mr. Abresch's other great writing goodies which can be found by pasting the following links into your browser:

http://blog.easyreadingwriting.com/
http://www.elder...

November 5, 2014
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Fiction Plotting 2/4

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