An agent at the conference this weekend talked about keeping the reader on the story path... that it was the writer's job to not let them get off the path. I understand this and have often wondered why books I read go in two directions. It's confusing and unsettling not to be sure which one to take. I'm sure the writer doesn't mean for this to happen but I think they know their story so well they just don't see the fork in the road as a problem. They know the way to the end. I'm going to look at my manuscripts with new eyes. I don't want anyone reading my stuff to see a fork in the story line and not know which way to go.
I know what you mean. I got nuts trying to figure out the forks in some stories. Hehe. Like you said, writers know their stories frontwards, backwards, and upsidedownwards. Sometimes my writing makes perfect sense to me, but I feel like I am sending my readers on one big crazy confusing roller coaster.
ReplyDeleteSo true!! Great advice this weekend, yes?
ReplyDeletesf