Back in the mid to late 1980s I was a security guard. The pay was lousy, but it gave me many hours in seclusion to write short stories and novels. However, I usually worked over 80 hours a week. No one can write that much. Well, at least not me. Thus I discovered the joys of my local libraries.
Recently, I decided to look up an author who gave me great pleasure in those days. Most of his books are now out of print, I've learned, even the one that became a movie.
I found that two of his were books available, so I ordered them. One I'd enjoyed before. The other was a straight thriller from the days before he created the "Appleton Porter" spy spoofs, re-released in 2001 in POD. I didn't know this before it arrived at my home in China.
Since I'm giving away THE plot spoiler, I won't identify the author or title.
A man who deeply loves his wife buys her a hotel outside London. She is very happy there, at first. This is a fine suspenseful read as she notes oddities and eventually appears to be losing her mind and such. Suicides, an eventual murder. Finally, her husband pays a doctor to kill her.
Her husband arranged all this, we learn at the end, because she was dying of a horrible and incurable illness. Rather than let her suffer the indignity, he tries to give her some final days filled with wonderful memories. He never realizes that he ended her days with a living hell.
The writing was fine, aside from some stupid typos of the sort common in unedited POD titles. He's obviously a sincere, hard-working, talented author. The plot was wholly consistent and everything "worked."
So why is it a weak book? Because the plot I described is all there is. It's a one-plot wonder.
As an author, if you find yourself floundering, if you find your work-in-progress failing to make progress, ask yourself. Is it a one-plot wonder?
Here are some best sellers I've read over the past thirty years.
During the Cold War, a Soviet commander steals a top-secret submarine and tries to defect to the US with it. A good and idealistic young law graduate accepts a job too good to be true, only to eventually learn he's working for the Mafia. An alcoholic author and his family become caretakers at an old Maine hotel, alone during the winter, and he eventually goes nuts. A US President declares war on drug dealers, a "clear and present danger" to national security. A crippled author is kidnapped by the ultimate fan.
I've chosen these titles because I've read the books and seen the movies. None of my plot summaries are wrong. But with some of those novels, there are many more plots and subplots at work. These are the novels that didn't always translate well to the big screen due to time constraints and/or loss of non-objective voice.
I love a well-conceived "what if" scenario, and none of these books lack that. But more importantly, I love a novel that's rich with the fabric of life. That's where multiple plots come into play. Very rarely will a movie capture this as well as a novel can.
A one-plot wonder is a boring read. It's a boring write. It's not realistic. And, it's a hard sell. All your eggs are in one basket. If the editor isn't enthralled with that sole plot, you aren't published. If the reviewer isn't enthralled with that sole plot, he pans you. If the potential reader isn't enthralled with that sole plot, he doesn't buy your book. Or if he does, maybe you don't get any repeat business from him. You don't get mine.
Plus, we should be setting the bar a bit higher for ourselves anyway. We entertain, but we also enlighten and educate. Or at the very least, provide needed escape. But it's hard to escape to a one-plot wonder. I keep taking coffee breaks between chapters.
I single out no writing medium with this. All are guilty. Come on, TERMINATOR 2 has more subplots than many successful books these days. And it's not just "these days," incidentally. The title I reviewed early in this article is from 1979. Published, successful, well-written, flat.
Craftsmanship is fine. Craftsmanship is wonderful to behold. Craftsmanship is a necessity. But, it's not enough.
Do you want to build a horse barn that never leaks or do you want to build a two-story A-frame home that survives five hurricanes undamaged? My carpenter did the latter and I can't do the former. But if I had the ability to build a leak-proof barn, I certainly wouldn't limit myself to barns. I'd try to build houses.
I'm not talking about weighty tomes. Times change, readers change, and most people don't read them any more. What was once considered gripping is now considered boring.
But one-plot wonders also bore readers. They read it, enjoy it moderately, then go look for something else to do. There's little satisfaction at the end. Rarely the big "wow" that probably made you start writing in the first place.
I'm talking about shooting for five stars instead of two or three. I'm talking about richness of story, raising the standard, writing your absolute best instead of settling for adequate.
I risk oversimplification here, but I'm seeing far too many one-plot wonders. People are buying them, too. But it's time for us, the authors, to quit writing them.
Copyright 2004, Michael LaRocca
Michael LaRocca's website at http://www.chinarice.org was chosen by WRITER'S DIGEST as one of The 101 Best Websites For Writers in 2001 and 2002. His response was to throw it out and start over again because he's insane. He teaches English at a university in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China, and publishes the free weekly newsletter WHO MOVED MY RICE?
executive chauffeured services Bradford .. Madison to Airport carIf your articles aren't getting published very often, or you... Read More
To help build your profile and reputation within a large... Read More
"If you want to change your life," Harry Beckwith wrote... Read More
Have you given up on getting your book out of... Read More
For several years before I left teaching to write full... Read More
"This is just brilliant. The whole interview is incredible? I'm?... Read More
I hate to admit this, but I rarely get an... Read More
Have you ever written a letter to a friend? Ever... Read More
When most people consider writing a book, they don't think... Read More
Freewriting is a release from the prison of rules. It... Read More
It would be very selfless or noble of me to... Read More
You know, I really hate it when someone catches me... Read More
Have you ever wondered how you can adapt your screenplay... Read More
I am sure that at in some era, at some... Read More
Sure you can write, but can you write crisp, compelling... Read More
So, you want to freelance as an editor, writer, copy... Read More
The purpose of this article is to consider Print-On-Demand publishing... Read More
Today I took the dog for a walk and realized... Read More
According to one of my previous articles, whenever a Southerner... Read More
When attempting to understand Creativity and Innovation, it pays to... Read More
Writing leads to reading. Therefore, it's only fair to supply... Read More
Write Right - You have an all important business letter... Read More
As an International language, English has been used widely in... Read More
What is Sense of Place? It's the image of a... Read More
Paulo Coelho was born on August 24th 1947 in Rio... Read More
O'Hare Chicago prom limo ..It is certainly true that we don't get a second... Read More
Do you want to publish something? An article, a non-fiction... Read More
Since the headline is the first contact your readers have... Read More
William Faulkner, the great Mississippi writer, said, "The tools I... Read More
Regardless of what sort of writer you are and how... Read More
For those looking at the jobs listings for writers, they... Read More
Paulo Coelho was born on August 24th 1947 in Rio... Read More
Anyone who has read any of my articles on the... Read More
Creative Writing Tips ?It should.A theme is a one-line explanation... Read More
Think you can't write a book that will sell? You... Read More
Originality emerges from structure. Once you have a story idea,... Read More
The purpose of this article is to consider Print-On-Demand publishing... Read More
If your writing muscle isn't in shape, writing a novel... Read More
No matter what your fifth-grade English teacher says, some grammar... Read More
Having trouble finding a solution to a nagging problem? Try... Read More
Have you given up on getting your book out of... Read More
Sometimes there is confusion about the exact meaning of the... Read More
Names are important. Names give clues about us, where we... Read More
How many times have you checked out a job board... Read More
EditingExpect, allow, and accept that every first draft will represent... Read More
How long should your chapters be?I can't resist... I have... Read More
When attempting to understand Creativity and Innovation, it pays to... Read More
If you want happy customers to use your service or... Read More
The self-indulgent writer listens only to the mumblings of sycophants,... Read More
The Blogfest 2005 Writing Contest has only been running for... Read More
Writing |