Category: Smells

Sometimes, writing smells. Something is wrong, but what is it? Learning to recognise what problem your writing is smelling of and knowing how to fix it is an important writing skill.
For a structured overview of these smells, look here.
If you just want to dig in, look below.

October 4, 2019 / Smells
Fake Plot

I was watching a TV show on Netflix with my daughter last week. Children’s shows vary a lot in quality, and the plotting in this one was particularly egregious. The show was stuffed with fake plot. Let’s look at what that is.

August 2, 2019 / Smells
Yarn

Often, stories lack a proper plot, but sometimes it’s the opposite: a story can drown in too much plot. And that can be a big problem.

January 25, 2019 / Smells
October 6, 2017 / Smells
August 4, 2017 / Smells

Fighting Cats

I was recently confronted with a nagging feeling that one of my stories wasn’t working. I couldn’t figure out why. Then I realized I had a Plot-Character Mismatch.