Writing Forum

I was reading a book on plot, which I think is a weakness in my own writing, and one thing they pointed out is that accusations of a plot being formulaic is a little absurd. A writing standard is a formula precisely because it works. As a chemist, Matt, you know that a formula is the only way to get to what you want. Its science. I won't denigh that there is alchemy at work too in good writing, there is, but even alchemy, magic, is something that can be learned by careful observation.

So we are back to experimentation. Trying things out in smaller, less resource hungry, ways is what I plan to do. I can imagine that examining writers that you admire for their style and plot tricks could be rewarding. But alchemically, writing works differently in each author's hands. It is art supported by skills that can be trained and in all cases training means doing the thing. Right? Write.

LSO