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Hi all,
The current story I am working on is turning out to be more of a major rewrite, but some of of the chapters have come out somewhat condensed and short, can anyone give some advice with regards to expanding the content without falling into the trap of waffling on about stuff that isn't relevant.
Lisa
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The problem is figuring out ...
... what is and isn't relevant. Anything that deepens character and establishes a deeper connection with the reader is relevant to me. And I've often been surprised when a tangent that characters go off on becomes important later in a story. Apparently, the characters often know more than I do about what's going to happen next. *grin*
My best advice is to leave the tangents in as you write, and then go back over the story at the end and try and decide what's important to the story and what isn't. Otherwise, it will slow you down as you write, because you'll have to evaluate everything you write to see if it's important "on the fly." I'll be happy to help, if you'd like.
*hugs*
Randa
Thanks :-) Knowing my way of
Thanks :-)
Knowing my way of writing, as n i go on i'll be hopping back to previous chapters to retcon later additions.
Nothing wrong with short chapters
But what it sounds like you're saying is that they read like synopses of chapters that describe what happened but don't really engage the reader. If that's the case, imagine a key scene from that part of the story---a little movie of the imagination---and build the chapter around that. Throw in a passage of dialogue that would convey the same information as the dry description you have now, entertainingly (if it entertains you you're probably on the right track...) and like one of our best text mechanics Angela Rasch (Jill MI) advises- pull the reader in the scene with descriptions that engage the senses---what the protagonist saw, heard, smelled, felt; and avoid plodding, passive verbs in favor of ones that help convey a sense of immediacy. If you do just enough of all the above to breathe life into the story you might get by with leaving some of the "overvue chapters" you have now just as they are, to avoid padding the whole story into a wafflesome & shapeless mass.
I hope at least some of this helps. Happy Thanxgiving or your local equivalent, Veronica
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(PS edit- I just took a look at your story "Corrective Actions". You're pretty much already doing most of the stuff I advised when it comes to descriptions and dialogue. OK nevermind...)
What borders on pure insanity?
Canada and Mexico.
.
Lots and lots of options
Just to start, you can add subplots, more characters, give us a scene from another character's point of view but the best one in my opinion is dialogue.
Good dialogue can extend a scene and when done well is a joy to write as well as read. If you don't believe me, watch a Tarentino film. :)
~And so it goes...
Currently, I am running
Currently, I am running parralel openings to the story for the main two characters, chapter one deals with the first, the second chapter happens more or less parallel with the first. Eventually the two narratives will merge into the main story.
There are several tried and
There are several tried and trusted ways of doing this. One is to add short but detailed descriptions of the characters' immediate surroundings, what's sometimes termed the cinematic approach. Another is to slip in one or two bits of backstory. And you can punctuate passages of dialogue - and thereby extend them - by having the protagonist reflect on what's being said.
Not really sure what is a
Not really sure what is a good word count for a chapter, I currently have 1,983 in chapter and 1,606 in chapter 2 so far.
Two cents...
If it doesn't move the story forward, then it's probably irrelevant. If you're building detail about your character, unless it plays a role in the story later, it's not important to go into detail about a character's love of Twinkies, for example. Just mention it in passing.
A chapter can be a single paragraph if that's all it takes to get that idea across.
Melanie
Just been building backstory
Just been building backstory and stuff in chapters 1 & 2 really (which are now done), though I have tried to keep it relevant. Now it can all move forward :-)
Don't be too concerned with
Don't be too concerned with keeping stuff relevant. Just ask yourself how you'd react if you read this. Would I be entertained? Would I laugh or cry? Would I be aching to find out what happened next? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, the chances are your readers will feel the same.
Rule of Three
Bring in a third sense when you describe a scene. Sign and sound are almost givens, but let us feel, taste and smell. Remember senses like balance, pain, body sense, movement sense. Bringing the third sense into a description opens it up to let the reader in.
Applies to characters, too.
Hugs,
Erin
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
It seems to be gaining
It seems to be gaining momentum now, almost writing itself :-)