Comments on: How To Avoid Overthinking Your Novel http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2010/09/30/how-to-avoid-overthinking-your-novel/ America's Mad Professor of Fiction Writing Mon, 21 May 2012 03:52:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1.3 By: Andra M. http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2010/09/30/how-to-avoid-overthinking-your-novel/#comment-13154 Andra M. Fri, 01 Oct 2010 13:48:06 +0000 http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2010/09/30/how-to-avoid-overthinking-your-novel/#comment-13154 This is a timely entry for me, because I'm finalizing my novel (for the 243rd time) to send to a publisher. My problem is the opposite from Sam's in that I don't add enough detail. To add one superfluous detail to a necessary one is doable, methinks. This is a timely entry for me, because I’m finalizing my novel (for the 243rd time) to send to a publisher. My problem is the opposite from Sam’s in that I don’t add enough detail. To add one superfluous detail to a necessary one is doable, methinks.

]]> By: Melissa Stroh http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2010/09/30/how-to-avoid-overthinking-your-novel/#comment-13156 Melissa Stroh Fri, 01 Oct 2010 14:34:57 +0000 http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2010/09/30/how-to-avoid-overthinking-your-novel/#comment-13156 I think that's an awesome rule of thumb. I really struggle with which details are important to the Storyworld and which ones can be thrown by the wayside. So this helped me tremendously. Thank you, Sam, for posing the question. And thanks, Randy, for giving such a concise answer. Even a scatter-brained writer like myself should have no trouble remembering to use conflict as a yardstick. I think that’s an awesome rule of thumb. I really struggle with which details are important to the Storyworld and which ones can be thrown by the wayside. So this helped me tremendously. Thank you, Sam, for posing the question. And thanks, Randy, for giving such a concise answer. Even a scatter-brained writer like myself should have no trouble remembering to use conflict as a yardstick.

]]> By: Melissa Prado http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2010/09/30/how-to-avoid-overthinking-your-novel/#comment-13160 Melissa Prado Fri, 01 Oct 2010 16:22:20 +0000 http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2010/09/30/how-to-avoid-overthinking-your-novel/#comment-13160 I love to read about details of a novel's storyworld IF it doesn't pull my attention away from what's going on in the story. I would treat it just like you would if the story were set in our world: just like if your protagonist were ordering a burger there would be no need to describe everything else on the restaurant's menu, if you were to mention your protagonist feeding their pet wakzoo a juicy piece of moribban fruit (or whatever) that would suffice without going off on a tangent about all the details of the local flora and fauna. I love to read about details of a novel’s storyworld IF it doesn’t pull my attention away from what’s going on in the story. I would treat it just like you would if the story were set in our world: just like if your protagonist were ordering a burger there would be no need to describe everything else on the restaurant’s menu, if you were to mention your protagonist feeding their pet wakzoo a juicy piece of moribban fruit (or whatever) that would suffice without going off on a tangent about all the details of the local flora and fauna.

]]> By: Lois Hudson http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2010/09/30/how-to-avoid-overthinking-your-novel/#comment-13161 Lois Hudson Fri, 01 Oct 2010 16:26:44 +0000 http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2010/09/30/how-to-avoid-overthinking-your-novel/#comment-13161 I purposely "lost" the entire first chapter in one story - beautiful, historic background important to the conflict, but a generation before, not close enough to warrant saving. The necessary details will emerge in the current story in tidbits, and the rest will remain in the storyworld in my brain. Thank you, Randy for inspiring, challenging, and motivating this difficult, but life-saving surgery. I purposely “lost” the entire first chapter in one story - beautiful, historic background important to the conflict, but a generation before, not close enough to warrant saving.
The necessary details will emerge in the current story in tidbits, and the rest will remain in the storyworld in my brain.
Thank you, Randy for inspiring, challenging, and motivating this difficult, but life-saving surgery.

]]> By: Don http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2010/09/30/how-to-avoid-overthinking-your-novel/#comment-13162 Don Fri, 01 Oct 2010 16:30:48 +0000 http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2010/09/30/how-to-avoid-overthinking-your-novel/#comment-13162 The storyworld for Nelson DeMille's novel "Up Country" is mostly Vietnam of the late 1990s. The hero is a returning Vietnam vet sent there on a secret government mission. Most of the half of the novel is the setup as the hero settles into Vietnam and hangs around with the love interest. There's interesting, but seemingly fairly minor, conflict, but a lot of his interaction with the country reads like a travelogue. And his thoughts flip between the war and the present, and how to make sense of it all. Kept me turning the pages, though. So it's hard to say even the more travelogue-like portions were boring. It's worth a study. The storyworld for Nelson DeMille’s novel “Up Country” is mostly Vietnam of the late 1990s. The hero is a returning Vietnam vet sent there on a secret government mission. Most of the half of the novel is the setup as the hero settles into Vietnam and hangs around with the love interest. There’s interesting, but seemingly fairly minor, conflict, but a lot of his interaction with the country reads like a travelogue. And his thoughts flip between the war and the present, and how to make sense of it all.

Kept me turning the pages, though. So it’s hard to say even the more travelogue-like portions were boring.

It’s worth a study.

]]> By: Charlotte http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2010/09/30/how-to-avoid-overthinking-your-novel/#comment-13165 Charlotte Fri, 01 Oct 2010 18:27:46 +0000 http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2010/09/30/how-to-avoid-overthinking-your-novel/#comment-13165 Randy, I like your rule of thumb. You have a way of cutting to the point and clarifying it. One thing I appreciate when reading a novel is being led to picture the scenes, people, places etc. Sometimes the story becomes so visual for me that later I can't remember if I read a book or watched a movie. This doesn't happen as easily for me if too much detail is dictated by the writer. I think this is because I become too busy trying to fit it all into my own image that reading becomes work and I get frustrated or lose interest. I guess my imagination doesn't need much encouragement. When I have an urge to spew everything I know about my storyworld, I try to remember (or at least hope) that readers enjoy participating in the story as they read; filling in the insignificant gaps, such as which direction what a character ordered for lunch, the colour of someone's shirt, or the make and model of a vehical parked on the street. I hope the reader will notice when I do include details that are relevant to the plot. Randy, I like your rule of thumb. You have a way of cutting to the point and clarifying it.

One thing I appreciate when reading a novel is being led to picture the scenes, people, places etc. Sometimes the story becomes so visual for me that later I can’t remember if I read a book or watched a movie. This doesn’t happen as easily for me if too much detail is dictated by the writer. I think this is because I become too busy trying to fit it all into my own image that reading becomes work and I get frustrated or lose interest. I guess my imagination doesn’t need much encouragement.

When I have an urge to spew everything I know about my storyworld, I try to remember (or at least hope) that readers enjoy participating in the story as they read; filling in the insignificant gaps, such as which direction what a character ordered for lunch, the colour of someone’s shirt, or the make and model of a vehical parked on the street. I hope the reader will notice when I do include details that are relevant to the plot.

]]> By: Melissa Prado http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2010/09/30/how-to-avoid-overthinking-your-novel/#comment-13265 Melissa Prado Mon, 04 Oct 2010 16:27:41 +0000 http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2010/09/30/how-to-avoid-overthinking-your-novel/#comment-13265 Very good point, Charlotte! I am completely agree. Only a few seeds are needed to give me an idea of what the location or characters should look like, and then I mentally cast them in my head and love filling in the gaps. But when an author describes in TOO much detail, I find myself trying to either force the extra stuff to fit into my mental image or just skipping over those words so it doesn't ruin the picture I've already created in my mind. :) Case in point, just finished reading Diana Gabaldon's "Outlander" and my mind immediately casted Gerard Butler as the lead (who else thinks he'd be PERFECT? :) there is the age difference, but people looked older at young ages back then and there are the sequels to consider after all) - so every time the author paused to describe Jamie Fraser's glorious coppery red locks, I had to mental shut my ears at those points. ;) Very good point, Charlotte! I am completely agree. Only a few seeds are needed to give me an idea of what the location or characters should look like, and then I mentally cast them in my head and love filling in the gaps. But when an author describes in TOO much detail, I find myself trying to either force the extra stuff to fit into my mental image or just skipping over those words so it doesn’t ruin the picture I’ve already created in my mind. :)

Case in point, just finished reading Diana Gabaldon’s “Outlander” and my mind immediately casted Gerard Butler as the lead (who else thinks he’d be PERFECT? :) there is the age difference, but people looked older at young ages back then and there are the sequels to consider after all) - so every time the author paused to describe Jamie Fraser’s glorious coppery red locks, I had to mental shut my ears at those points. ;)

]]>