Tulips in October
A reader moment, a writer lesson, and what I’m fixing in Resilient
Hi friends!
Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about story structure because I’m deep in revisions for my third novel, Resilient.
Story structure is the invisible architecture that holds a story together. When you read a story that effortlessly pulls you along, that’s because the story structure is working.
For instance, in Resilient, Lin believes her worth comes from what she accomplishes, so she always pushes harder. Builds faster. The structure of her life begins to collapse when her health changes and her body forces her to slow down.
I’ve been moving scenes around and adjusting the details, trying to make the story stronger and more enjoyable for you.
Even though I’m a writer, I still read for enjoyment. This week I was reading a novel and hit a detail that pulled me out of the story. I was happily reading about life in a city in October until the author describes tulips blooming. Boom…. I’m pulled out of the story. And now I’m on my own journey thinking about gardening seasons, climate zones and whether tulips bloom in other countries.
Moments like that remind me of how fragile the spell of a story can be. When I’m working on Resilient, I’m not only thinking about Lin’s journey. I’m thinking about the tiny details that make the story come to life, the time of year, the smell in a room and what flowers are blooming.
I think I have figured out how this writer (who is a best-selling novelist) got this detail incorrect. I bet in an earlier draft this scene took place in the spring, and so the tulips made perfect sense. But when she decided to set this scene in the fall, the tulip detail got left as is. But that’s just a guess on my part.
When details line up with reality, readers can relax and enjoy a truly immersive experience. They stay inside the story instead of stepping outside to question it.… and no one stops to wonder why tulips are blooming in October.
I’d love to hear from you.
Has a small detail in a book ever pulled you out of the story like that?
Be Well,
Beth Biss
I don't suppose the tulips were in the southern hemisphere were they? Guessing not.
I think of structure all the time. Sometimes I think of it as Order of Operations, one can't just start building (writing) on instinct, each level must follow in such a way that a reader can see themselves inside the story.