("On avoiding too many subplots, unnecessary characters, and the urge to put all you know in one book:")
Make not your tale of accidents too full;
Too much variety will make it dull.
Achilles' rage alone, when wrought with skill,
Abundantly does a whole Iliad fill.
~ Florence King
~ Florence King
9 comments:
I love that quote.
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hmmmm... some food for thought.
Nice.
I recently had a conversation with a friend who was turned off by a book because too much had happened in the first 50 pages. She said it was too much of a stretch to believe.
it's definitely something to keep in mind. I think it's easy to go overboard, especially since we sort of train ourselves to get those first 50 pages as "interesting" as we can get them, since that is often all an agent is going to look at. Just as with everything else in this crazy business, it seems to be all about balance :)
Great advice! One of my crit partners told me to remove some of my characters (including a best friend) and she was right. The story and other characters were stronger for it.
That's a winner. I love it! :-)
Ain't it the truth! I think that's what killed my first manuscript. Streamlining the plot and going for a tightly-focused second novel has been So. Much. Easier. Great post!
Both fun and true. ;)
Nice quote - I don't remember seeing that one before :)
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