A good humor writer is a master of deception, a psychological deceiver, a sensory trickster. They’re filthy rotten liars. That’s because good humor is based on violated expectations. That is, the laugh comes from being surprised when you think one thing is going to happen, but another does instead. It’s based on what psychologists call the Incongruity Theory or Incongruity-Resolution Theory. That’s because the humor actually happens when you realize and recognize the incongruity.. Here’s how it works. “Take my … Read More »

  A scene’s ending should leave the reader with more information about the plot than he had when the scene began. But it should also leave the reader wanting more. Tall order! How can this be done successfully? A scene must be a conclusion—to a conversation or a date, perhaps. Maybe the scene ends a life or a job—something life-changing—and the MC has to ask himself where he goes from there.   Or, perhaps, the ending of the scene is … Read More »

I have just deleted 40,000 words (my doing, not the computer’s), from my work in progress, whose length over the last phase of writing and editing, had spun out of control, edging close to 130,000 words. The book is now at 89,000 words – in the next round of writing and editing, its length cannot reach more than 90,000, not if I want a publishing house to look at it, me being a first time writer. It is a handy … Read More »

We’ve dissected the scene. We’ve talked about scene launches. Now let’s get to the heart of the scenes—The Middles. Think of the middle “as a realm of possibility between the scene opening and its ending, where major drama and conflict … unfold.” (1) However, beware of the seductive power of the middle that will tempt you into narrative by-roads. Those “pretty flower beds of words” that make the reader want to nod off. Don’t let them … ever! If you’ve … Read More »

I’m ready to create something delicious and memorable, something people will remember for a long time, and want to enjoy again, and again. I pull out my recipe (trusty plot clock template), and list all of the ingredients I need for a successful and engaging outcome:  ordinary world, binding point, low point, turning point, climax, and denouement. (You may structure your story differently, but this is the recipe I use – tried and true.)  The recipe has only six main … Read More »

Arrive late; leave early. It’s a splendid mantra for mandatory office parties, but it also applies to scene setting. Don’t begin the scene with tedious party preparations, the highlighting and contouring needed to turn Plain Jane into Beautiful Belle, or the inevitable staring at one’s reflection as a means of self-description. ARRIVE LATE. Begin the scene with the swish of silk and the striking of her heel against the marble tiles as heads turn to stare… LEAVE EARLY. End the … Read More »