Calling a story “complex” is a high compliment.
But what is complexity?
How can we learn how to write stories that are complex—without skidding across that narrow dividing line into complicated?
What’s the difference between a complex story and a complicated story? And is your story too complicated?
“I’m bored,” complained Nick with a sigh as he slumped in his chair.
“How about we play a game, then?” suggested Jan as she came into the room with some snacks from the kitchen.
“What sort of game?” Nick replied sullenly.
“Well, we can make room on the coffee table and play a board game.”
Nick shrugged. “I guess we can do that.”
They cleared the coffee table and Jan set up a board game. However, it wasn’t long before Nick was complaining again.
As he noticed he was trailing far behind Jan in the game, he huffed and slumped back in his chair. “This is boring! You call this a board game? Ha! It’s more like a bored game!”
Jan frowned. “Fine! Stay bored then!” And with a huff she stalked from the room.
Nick stared after her for a moment, then turned and looked out the window. “I’m bored,” he muttered to himself.
This post is part of the Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt, “board/bored”:
Ciao, SEers. Today is part ten of the series, and we’re getting into self-editing. The first step in the revision process is to work on the macro-level, or on the biggest issues. Joan introduced us to the basics in self-editing in this post. I’m going to dig a little deeper. I suggest two read-throughs in […]
Story Development and Execution Part 10: Macro-Level Self-Editing
Hey, SE Readers. Joan with you today. In my last post, I spoke of story length. Today we’ll discuss writing a series of books. First, let’s talk about serial fiction versus a series. Serial fiction is released in installments. This type of fiction became popular in the nineteenth century. Charles Dickens’s The Pickwick Papers was […]
Series Fiction
Bogus agents are ba-a-ack. Once upon a time, in the long-ago era when I was querying, fee-charging agencies and in-house editorial services were the problem. Their scams usually involved charging a “reading fee” (a no-no for legit agents) or referring writers to editorial services and vanity presses they themselves owned.
They also added to their coffers by charging “mailing and copying” fees. This was the pre-Internet age when we had to send manuscripts in hard copy. Those manuscripts needed Xeroxing and postage for expensive snails. Bogus agents overcharged writers for those fees.
These old-school bogus agents targeted unpublished authors who didn’t know how the process worked. In one of my very first blogposts, 13 years ago, I warned writers about these bogus agents., who had scammed a number of my friends. Much of the advice is still true.
But the new bogus agents are more brazen. And they mostly…
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Photo by Carson Masterson on Unsplash Hi, SEers John with you today. I hope your Monday is starting well. How about those characters? I mean, who gives them the right to walk off with a story that, for the most part, was the author’s creation in the first place? Of course, I’m talking about […]
When Characters Try to Run the Show
She sat in the chair and stared at the fire crackling in the fireplace. A letter lay in her lap. Slowly, a tear trickled down her cheek.
Memories of her argument with Mitch replayed in her mind as she watched the flames dance. The scene of her best friend – her only friend – storming out the door repeated itself, and she felt tears hit her hand.
She picked up the letter she’d found slipped under her front door not long after Mitch had left, and read it again.
“I hate seeing you so alone. I hate seeing how unhappy you are, though you try to hide it. I know you’re afraid of being hurt, but you need to stop shutting people out. You need to unlock your heart and let people in, Anya. I can help you, if you will let me. Let me be the key that unlocks your heart.”
The letter wasn’t signed, but she recognized the handwriting.
She grasped the letter and inwardly berated herself for being such a fool. She’d had no idea how Mitch had truly felt about her. And she knew he was right about everything – about hiding being unhappy and about shutting people out. She’d been pushing people away for so long, afraid to let anyone get close to her, but she couldn’t continue to do that now.
Mitch had already unlocked her heart.
Anya jumped from her chair and ran out of the house, letter in hand, to find Mitch.
This post is part of the Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt, “key”:
Hi SEers! Denise here to talk about taking mini vacations away from writing. Sometimes, I draw a blank. Not necessarily writer’s block because the words are just within my grasp. Yet, I can’t put them all together when I sit down to write. This is when I step away from the computer, shut it off, […]
MINI VACATIONS FOR WRITERS
Image courtesy of Tumisu via Pixabay Hi SErs! It’s a day of Harmony here at Story Empire 🙂 Today, I’d like to talk about Foreshadowing in a prologue. Here’s a link to the previous post on Backstory Delivery. How do you write foreshadowing into your prologue, and do it well? This type of prologue teases […]
How to Use Prologues, Part 6, Spoilers Ahoy
I don’t know about you, but I’m not always completely focused on writing, even after deciding, I would write, (or in my case, sit on the computer and type in my handwritten stories). I find myself distracted too many times to count, and I don’t like that. So I tried to ‘eliminate’ the distractions. It […]
Writing Distractions
KL CALEY
Writer Beware
Writing Advice From A YA Author Powered By Chocolate And Green Tea
Writing to Inspire, Motivate, and to help finding Hopes
Writing about film, media, and imaginative fiction.
My views on the above and some...
Giving and Receiving Blessings
Collecting the Future
Enjoy the Adventure
50,000 Monkeys at 50,000 Typewriters Can't Be Wrong
Drift among the scribbles of writer Janet Gogerty
Devour every page and be hungry for more!
AUTHOR, Copy Editor, Publisher, & Book Blogger
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