We’ve all probably read bad writing at one point or another. Most often, it is the result of stagnant plot. Here are some things I noticed seem to kill a plotline*:
- Creating purposeless drama. Far too often, an author will have a character experience twenty million disasters just so their character has to struggle. Through EVERYTHING. In short: No one is that unlucky. If you want to bring your character to a climax/breaking point emotionally, one catastrophe should be enough. If it’s not, you’ve either created a nihilist or a vegetable.
- Refusing to pitch your babies. These are scenes you can’t chuck because you’re emotionally attached. But scenes like that act as a parasite. They will choke you and your story. So if they hinder your character or take away from theme, then they probably need to go die in a pit. Sorry.
- Trying to make something unrelated fit in. You know that spark-of-genius scene that you just know has to go in your story? It doesn’t. It might be the goose that laid the golden egg, but if you’re writing about ducks, keep the geese out of it. Save it for when you write about geese.
- You are absolutely stuck. Something’s gotta give. If it’s not your characters, it’s probably your plot. A bad plot will suck even your characters dry, leaving you with dust-bunnies in a desert of boredom.
- It wouldn’t happen in reality. Even in the case of fantasy fiction, if it wouldn’t happen to you, it probably doesn’t have a place in your writing either. Always write from the perspective of a real person, remembering to not stretch it too far to accommodate melodrama or cheesy resolutions.
*As I disclaimer, I want to emphasize that this is by any means an exhaustive list, and it doesn’t mean that you can’t break these rules for the purposes of parodying, creating unreliable narrators, etc. And I’m speaking from experience, so I’m not immune to these either.
Please add your own as well! I’d love to hear them!
3 responses to “5 Indications that Your Plot is Sinking”
elkallgren
April 28th, 2011 at 04:12
This is fantastic advice! (And possibly my favorite blog post so far. The image was especially captivating 🙂 ) I completely agree with what you’re saying, and I’ve fallen into every one of these traps before. Sometimes even I’ll get bored with my plot–a super-clear sign that something’s amiss! I especially resonate with #2. When I have fellow writers critique my work, my “babies” are often the scenes they’ll gently suggest I discard, and the scenes I thought were complete stinkers are what they love most. Have you ever encountered this? Thanks for the practical (and funny) advice!
lovegraphite
April 29th, 2011 at 04:17
Love this! First of all, I love the tone you strike. Most of all, I love the content. It’s so true. I especially hate the meaningless drama one! That will turn me off a book faster than anything. I really enjoy how you pull practical writing advice from your own noticings as a reader. As a writer, I will definitely be back for more tips. As a reader, I just enjoy your writing. Keep it up! This is my first time here, but I’ll be back. 🙂
kirkistan
May 14th, 2011 at 16:38
Great list! Makes me want to go write fiction.
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