Write Lightning is a blog from writer Deb Thompson.
Everyone is welcome here.
(Some links or topics may not be completely kid-appropriate.)
Everyone is welcome here.
(Some links or topics may not be completely kid-appropriate.)
Fri, Dec 13 2013
Structure: When is a wall not a wall?
We're making some changes to the area between our kitchen and dining area and so I've learned more about terms such as "header" and "weight-bearing". One can't go tearing down walls in a house without considering the overall structure. I also think of story structure. There are things that don't make sense in fiction unless we consider overall plot delelopment. We can't just go killing all the characters without a master plan, unless killing all the characters is our master plan, in which case we would still need to consider the order and nature of their departures.
In addition to all this, I thought of a more practical relation to plot. In mystery and horror novels there are occasionally people who are killed and have their remains sealed inside a wall. If you use this particular plot device, do not be so foolish as to choose a 1940s bungalow in California. The walls are likely to be a mere four inches deep. The only way your character would fit...well, let's politely say that the details would matter as much as major plot elements. A wall to the wise is sufficient.
posted at: 09:51 | category: /Writing Life | link to this entry
We're making some changes to the area between our kitchen and dining area and so I've learned more about terms such as "header" and "weight-bearing". One can't go tearing down walls in a house without considering the overall structure. I also think of story structure. There are things that don't make sense in fiction unless we consider overall plot delelopment. We can't just go killing all the characters without a master plan, unless killing all the characters is our master plan, in which case we would still need to consider the order and nature of their departures.
In addition to all this, I thought of a more practical relation to plot. In mystery and horror novels there are occasionally people who are killed and have their remains sealed inside a wall. If you use this particular plot device, do not be so foolish as to choose a 1940s bungalow in California. The walls are likely to be a mere four inches deep. The only way your character would fit...well, let's politely say that the details would matter as much as major plot elements. A wall to the wise is sufficient.
posted at: 09:51 | category: /Writing Life | link to this entry
