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Dec. 28th, 2025 06:24 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
beccaelizabethI'm getting frustrated reading stuff where nothing happens except characters explaining the plot and backstory to each other.
Story needs to be thrifty. If you have to drop in explanations they also need to reveal who these people are and how they uniquely interact with the world. Also the scene needs to change something, and hopefully someone. If all that happens is all the characters speak enough to know what the reader knew two chapters ago we don't actually need to see it, they can just say 'x got me caught up' and move on to the next bit where something changes.
Also people need to do the yearning having cycle. They need to Want something, and Persuade someone else to let them have it. And just because it is perfectly reasonable if everyone knows what the readers know, that isn't enough reason to do it. Plus some characters just plain will not do gratitude. And they break their word, so keeping them on track is difficult, and they will expect others to do the same thing. You have to find a Motive that hooks into their core characterisation somehow, something they want or someone they want to be, and then you have to wrangle them into admitting everyone's needs could get met. It's herding cats at best.
... this story I am paused of reading basically has the cats marching in lines and having realised that I think I'll go skim read until something interesting happens or the story ends.
Story needs to be thrifty. If you have to drop in explanations they also need to reveal who these people are and how they uniquely interact with the world. Also the scene needs to change something, and hopefully someone. If all that happens is all the characters speak enough to know what the reader knew two chapters ago we don't actually need to see it, they can just say 'x got me caught up' and move on to the next bit where something changes.
Also people need to do the yearning having cycle. They need to Want something, and Persuade someone else to let them have it. And just because it is perfectly reasonable if everyone knows what the readers know, that isn't enough reason to do it. Plus some characters just plain will not do gratitude. And they break their word, so keeping them on track is difficult, and they will expect others to do the same thing. You have to find a Motive that hooks into their core characterisation somehow, something they want or someone they want to be, and then you have to wrangle them into admitting everyone's needs could get met. It's herding cats at best.
... this story I am paused of reading basically has the cats marching in lines and having realised that I think I'll go skim read until something interesting happens or the story ends.