The Arbitrary. The Sweets.
The blogiverse is a bit like a magic eight ball: it always has the answer to my problems. Today I’m trying to finish a story that I’ve been trying to finish for over a year. It has two alternating plots, two POVs. And I just can’t seem to finish it.
Then I read the Intern’s post, Annihilating the Arbitrary. (If she is not currently in your reader, you must add her. Now.)
(Have you added her yet?)
Going through my WIP, I’m realizing that the pairing of these two storylines is arbitrary. Well, not entirely. They are mostly there because they will please the reader. This is a series, and the main through-line characters have unfinished business that needs to be finished, but that’s not enough for a whole story. And the second plot is needed because it’s new and yet it’s what my readers want and expect.
But that’s not good enough. There needs to be a reason for this pairing.
I usually start with my theme/s and my through-lines and my character arcs, but this time I’ve either forgotten them, it seems. So I’m making a list. I’ve dropped all the seeds; now I just need to make them bloom. And I have to tie the two story-lines together at the end in one big climax, or else it will read like a soap opera.
What’s wrong with a soap opera, again?
And why the pictures of candy? Well, in my 365-books-in-a-year reading project, I’m re-reading some of my all-time favorites: the Chronicles of Narnia and the Harry Potter series. I want to make Turkish Delight and Treacle Fudge. I’ve read about both for years. It’s time for me to try them! Although I fear I’m going to be devastated if I hate Turkish Delight.
Thanks again for all the book recommendations. I’m still wading through them and trying to make my list and post it, but it might take awhile. In the meantime, if you’d like to friend me on GoodReads, I post what I’ve read every day.
What think you on arbitrary? And what foods from fiction have you always wondered about but never tried?
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Natasha Fondren is a writer traveling the U.S. in a camper with her four cats. She is currently enjoying the lizards and desert heat in Arizona.
I liked that post from the Intern too. I thought it ironic since I’ve been talking about Evanovich’s formulaic approach to the Plum series, which isn’t quite the same thing, but along the same lines (in my head anyway).
Food from books? I read Like Water for Chocolate several times in college (all for different classes) and I was always curious about the recipes in it. Odds are I’ve had them now and don’t even realize it!
She gets better, but I think her peak is #12. #15 is very disappointing, but I’m willing to give her another two books to fix things.
I LOVED that movie! I need to read that book, definitely.
LOL… I just remembered that I DID read that book! Sheesh!
Yeah, I agree with that post but that kind of stuff is the result of authors just trying to assemble Frankenstein monster books with all the bits they figure publishers want. As for the arbitrary business, one could always claim anything a character does illustrates his or her, uh, character. I mean, hey, he’s prone to do arbitrary things. He’s an arbitrary kind of guy. I’m not claiming that’s a good argument…..
I was just thinking of that justification, Eric! In fact, I was thinking one could make justification for just about all that is arbitrary, and was disappointed to realize it’s just as subjective as the rest of this book business. Sheesh.
PS: “Frankenstein monster books” just CRACKED ME UP!
Spy, you’ve written much more than I have, but I came across the “Snowflake” method about a month ago. I had a nagging concern about my manuscript that something wasn’t quite right about it. I tried the exercise on the website and lo and behold–there was the missing bit. My manuscript has three plot lines that co-habit with each other for the same reason you have two. I also have multiple POVs, two main ones with the sub-POVs taking intermittent turns. I’m in the process of tidying up all the loose ends now before completing the synopsis to lure some nice agent to take it on and find a nice home with a publisher.
The Snowflake site is: http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/art/snowflake.php
I’ve seen that, Barbara! Thanks for reminding me! I kinda write like that in my mind, although I’ve never formally written it down. Maybe that’s what I should do tonight!
Good luck with finding a home for it!
Turkish Delight! Oh, that brings up so many nice memories. The Narnia books were the first books I ever truly loved. I remember reading them up in the willow tree in our backyard.
If you ever find a recipe for Turkish Delight, please post it!
LOL, Robin! If you click on “Turkish Delight” in my post, it’ll take you straight to the recipe!
I loved the Narnia books, and I remember a second grade teacher trying to broach the possibility that they were an allegory. I was SO pissed, I wouldn’t discuss it any further with her. I’d rather live in Narnia than heaven any day!
PS: I read them in the tree in our front yard!
I love the Plum series – and you’re right, they lose their luster after a while, because it’s pretty much the same story with different oddball side characters, but the humor’s so good, it keeps me coming back anyway. My mother in law went to her book signing and brought me back a signed copy of Fifteen!!!
I’ve wanted to try almost everything from the Harry Potter series, except the Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans… those I could do without. I love when books describe food – I even remember wanting to try the melted cheese when I read Heidi. This one’s not published (yet) but I wanted all of the Korean delicacies mentioned in Ello’s manuscript, too.
I tried those, Merry! They were yummy. Well, most of them were yummy.
You reminded me about Heidi! I just put it on my book list for the year. I tried (and loved) goat’s milk because of that book!
I’m always afraid I have too many things going on. But I don’t have the things going on to fit a formula. It just happens as I write.
I’ve eaten Turkish Delight, but never felt the need to make it. Good for you!
Me too, Edie! I always drop stuff in at the beginning, that take me through the middle and end. It just happens!
I can’t wait to try it, Edie!
I’m on goodreads as well. I’ve been enjoying it. Sometimes I think we discover what we need at just the right time because our subconscious is probably telling us what we need and we don’t listen until some outsider brings it up to us.
That’s a good point and probably the best explanation, Charles! I think that’s a huge part of it!
I’ve always wanted to try lembas bread——not because it would taste good, but that it has such interesting properties and a fascinating history.
While joining your book’s two threads might be the answer to your problems, I don’t think that a book’s having two threads that DON’T intersect means that it is necessarily arbitrary. As long as some specific qualities underlie the decision (e.g., common themes, or to examine cross-cultural similarities), it is (by definition) not arbitrary. When I say this I think of the movie Babel, which (unlike the two other films by Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu that preceded it in the loose trilogy) had several plot lines related only tangentially. While actions in one place had vast reverberations elsewhere (which is to say, they weren’t totally separate), there was no conclusion bringing them all together.
I say all of this mostly because the idea for The Last Immortal sprang from the movie Babel, and each book does something similar (yet different) to what I described above. Although a recent plot breakthrough has altered this dynamic in Book One…should be interesting to see where it goes.
Oh, and one more thing: there is no greater enemy in poetry than the arbitrary. While in books we speak of whether character’s decisions and personality quirks are arbitary, in poetry we discuss whether INDIVIDUAL WORD CHOICES ARE. It’s maddening! It’s always so tempting to use a word or phrase just because it sounds good, ignoring whether it has a larger purpose. Ugh…it’s a constant battle (there are other fronts, as well, that I won’t describe here), and right now I’ve drawn it to a stalemate.
Joey, it’s so timely I’m re-reading this comment now, because I’m finally getting back to finishing the story I was talking about.
I REALLY hope you do NaNo! Please try? The first time it’s almost painful, but it loosens up things and gets new stuff juggling around up there, and it always makes me improve in big way, no matter whether the end result is quality or crap, LOL.
I’ve been focusing a lot on plot, this year, but I need to start looking at my individual word choices again. It’s not as important as with poetry, but it’s definitely a skill I need to keep on top of!