Footprints Of Your Characters In The Snow “Remember: Plot is no more than footprints left in the snow after your characters have run by on their way to incredible destinations. Plot is observed after the fact rather than before. It cannot precede action. It is the chart that remains when an action is through. That is all Plot ever should be. It is human desire let run, running, and reaching a goal. It cannot be mechanical. It can only be…
Hip Replacement Several months ago, the hip replacement fairy paid a visit to a friend of mine; let’s call him “Dan” for reference sake. Dan is a fellow writer and sometime collaborator on some of fan fiction’s greatest tales. During his younger years, Dan was rather active in sports and as he matured—as many athletes discover—body parts began to wear out. He finally reached the point where he had to start replacing them. Now, I am not sure how…
Country Roads If you have ever spent any amount of time driving in West Virginia, I am sure there is a chassis parts salesman somewhere who appreciates it. While it is true you can go from one city to another using our interstate or highway system, at some point you have to leave the big road behind. Country roads can be an adventure all their own. They can narrow to the point of becoming one lane with more turns, hills,…
Avoiding the Burial Plot Nothing kills a story like a lousy plot. Unless you are writing a series, everything needs to be wrapped up by the end of the story. If your protagonist gets distracted halfway through the story and never revisits the original storyline, then you’ve just added another nail to the coffin. But enough about all of that. The plot I’m talking about is just as important. Let me make it clear; I’m a jotter, not a plotter….