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Preventing problems in storywriting

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While developing details in their outline, writers may accidentally derail their original plot plan. If this occurs, the writer has a few options - ignore the change and risk incoherence, modify the climax to incorporate new developments, or rewrite earlier sections to remove inconsistencies. Catching such issues requires noticing unintended consequences, where beta readers can help by providing an outside perspective.

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By Alistair Gillikin
 Many writers have an overall plot idea when they start writing a story.  Then as they start, they can fill in their outline with details to make the earlier sections more interesting.
 However, sometimes a writer will accidentally derail their earlier plan with these developments.  Perhaps as a character developed, they overcame their fatal flaw before it would have triggered the climax.  Or a tool the characters found could solve a later problem easily.
 If the writer realizes this, there are a few things he can do.  1. Ignore it and have the story move on as originally planned. This is usually the worst option when dealing with a reasonably intelligent audience.  2. Change the climax to incorporate these developments. This may lead to a better or worse story than planned, but at least it will be coherent.
 3. Rewrite the earlier sequence to remove this unintended element - either completely, or rendering it unavailable at the truly important scene.  Of course, this all is dependent on the author noticing the inconsistency before his work is released to the public. This is one place where beta readers and editors come in handy – they can sometimes see things the original author overlooked.
 Writing can be very difficult, but also very rewarding.

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Preventing problems in storywriting

  • 2. Many writers have an overall plot idea when they start writing a story.  Then as they start, they can fill in their outline with details to make the earlier sections more interesting.
  • 3. However, sometimes a writer will accidentally derail their earlier plan with these developments.  Perhaps as a character developed, they overcame their fatal flaw before it would have triggered the climax.  Or a tool the characters found could solve a later problem easily.
  • 4. If the writer realizes this, there are a few things he can do.  1. Ignore it and have the story move on as originally planned. This is usually the worst option when dealing with a reasonably intelligent audience.  2. Change the climax to incorporate these developments. This may lead to a better or worse story than planned, but at least it will be coherent.
  • 5. 3. Rewrite the earlier sequence to remove this unintended element - either completely, or rendering it unavailable at the truly important scene.  Of course, this all is dependent on the author noticing the inconsistency before his work is released to the public. This is one place where beta readers and editors come in handy – they can sometimes see things the original author overlooked.
  • 6. Writing can be very difficult, but also very rewarding.