As a writer and teacher of fiction, I am very aware of the importance of maintaining continuity. I often write on workshop students' pieces "Give us more connective tissue." What do I mean by that? Perhaps a novel is too episodic, and the episodes don't connect enough, or perhaps the characters are each going on their own paths and not bouncing off each other in a tight action/reaction dance. Or the main protag's challenge has little to do with the theme of the story.
Think of a body. It has a heart--the story core--and it has parts that each do their duty. In a body, without connective tissue, the muscle that holds the body together, or lymph that pushes out toxins, or the blood that feeds and oxygenates, the parts would loosen and fall apart. The main characters' wants and needs should weave together in a complex design, and the story should have a clear, arching trajectory.
Think continuity!
What do you think is important in pulling a story together as one whole?
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| Alex Grey, Visionary Art |
Think of a body. It has a heart--the story core--and it has parts that each do their duty. In a body, without connective tissue, the muscle that holds the body together, or lymph that pushes out toxins, or the blood that feeds and oxygenates, the parts would loosen and fall apart. The main characters' wants and needs should weave together in a complex design, and the story should have a clear, arching trajectory.
Think continuity!
What do you think is important in pulling a story together as one whole?