For most readers, a satisfying plot is a fairly complex one. A single, relatively linear plot can be mildly entertaining, but usually not very memorable or satisfying. A story with not only twists and turns, but with sidetracks and subplots that all seem to somehow tie in, even loosely, give readers a much richer, deeper…
Author: Kevin Paul Tracy
Plotting Whiplash
I remember reading Stephen R. Donaldson’s Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever as a teen and feeling frustrated. At the time, I didn’t have the experience to define the source of that frustration, but later in life I was able to put my finger on it. I was reading good-sized books about epic fantasy adventures,…
Addictive Storytelling
The other day I downloaded a book from Amazon onto my Kindle and began to read. About 50 pages in, I suddenly got a vague sense of deja vu, and as I read further, I kept getting that feeling and it kept getting stronger. Finally, about halfway through I couldn’t escape the realization that I’d…
Your Authentic Voice
Novelist, news reporter, biographer, stand-up comedian, ventriloquist…so many professions rely on the performer to find their voice. But what does voice mean for a performer? And how do you find it? The answer is frustratingly vague…and so simple that it’s kind of hard to understand. The vague answer is that your voice is the manner…
I’m a writer. . .aren’t I?
I got stuck on my work-in-progress. So, I answered emails from writing colleagues, I dove headfirst into critique and edit requests, I attended critique groups, I wrote blogs about writing, I did interviews on writing techniques and past releases… I kept busy, and most of it was writing-related. Meanwhile, my WIP languished. I’m a writer,…