Monday, December 14, 2020

What we're writing week: Hallie assesses the mess

 

HALLIE EPHRON: Lately I've been writing *about* writing. Musing about something I heard when I was the panel moderator at a mystery conference. Walter Mosley drew a distinction between story and plot.

Story is what really happened. Plot is the order in which it's revealed to the reader.

I’ve been pondering that distinction ever since, because it perfectly captures why mystery novels are such fun to read, and why they can give you a brain cramp to write.

Here's an example from The Maltese Falcon. In the first scene, Detective Sam Spade meets a prospective client. He agrees to help the alluring Miss Wonderly find her missing sister who has run off with ne’er-do-well Floyd Thursby. Soon Spade (and the reader) will realize Miss Wonderly isn’t Miss Wonderly, there is no sister, and a bullet that takes down Spade’s partner who goes to investigate the missing sister was meant for Spade.

But the story begins long before Miss Wonderly set foot in Spade’s office. It involves the theft of a priceless artifact, a falling out among the thieves, with Spade’s affair with his partner’s wife thrown in to complicate matters. All of which is revealed to the reader by the end of the book.

One of the biggest challenges in writing a mystery involves reconciling the sequence of real events (Moseley's “story”) with the order in which they’re revealed to the reader (“plot”). The story should obvious and logically airtight, only in retrospect. The pleasure in reading a mystery comes from seeing past the characters’ lies and obfuscations, past the author’s clever misdirection, and sussing out each characters’ true motivations and actions an instant or two before the author reveals them.

Because I’m more of a pantser than a plotter, I often arrive at that glorious moment when I type THE END for the first time, only to find that my novel is riven with plot holes. I’d like nothing better than to pick up a blue pencil and start editing words and sentences, create more shapely paragraphs, more compelling beginnings and endings. But when I raise my head out of the weeds, print out the manuscript and read it through, I find inconsistencies and head-scratching moments. Sometimes, even I’m not sure how the villain pulled it off.

For instance, in the first draft of CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR, a murder victim misbehaves in a coffee shop after, it turns out, he’s already dead. I hadn’t worked out exactly how that happened without “Jiggery Pokery” or an “Act of God” which the Detection Club (formed in 1930) required their mystery-writing members to disavow. I had to assess the mess and make a million tweaks so that in the end it was physicall plausible and logically airtight, and yet the reader wouldn't see it coming.

READERS: Do you ever finish reading (or writing!) a mystery novel and find yourself muttering But but but... and reeling off the inconsistencies the author never properly addressed?

WRITERS; What do you do when you read your first draft and spot those gotchas and even you aren't sure how your character pulled it off?

70 comments:

  1. Most of the time, when I finish reading a mystery novel, I’m satisfied with the way the story played out and the events were reconciled. I like stories that tie up the loose ends in a believable way.
    When I stumble across one of those stories in which the ending feels forced or the events simply don’t make sense to me, it’s frustrating . . . and, yes, I mutter and grumble and whine about it . . . .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Me too. Especially when there are unexplained coincidences.

      Delete
  2. Hallie, thanks for the explanation of "story vs. plot".

    It's interesting that you find the plot holes in your manuscript and edit from your written copy.
    Maybe it's our generation, but I also cannot edit from the computer screen and need a hard copy to work on the drafts of my journal articles/reports/book chapters at work. And I an a detailed outliner for everything I write!

    One of the main reasons that I read mysteries is to get that resolution nicely tied up at the end. And most cliffhangers are ok if the story continues in the next book (of a series).

    But of course, there are a few instances where I don't think the writer played fair with me as the reader. You do have to suspend disbelief about certain plots and how conveniently a book ends.

    Sometimes this affects how I feel about the book and also whether I will read another book from the author.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. For me too, as a reader, an author "playing fair" is essential.
      Creating an outline is exactly how I find those plot holes. It helps me 'fly high' and see the forest for the trees.

      Delete
  3. As an also mostly pantser, I invariably find those holes/pits/canyons (agree, reading straight through on paper is so important). I groan and swear and hide for a day or two, and then roll up my sleeves and get to work. Luckily, my first drafts are always too short, so I have plenty of room for filling gaping plot chasms.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Plot holes. Plot chasms. Sometimes filling them is a tiny tweak, but sometimes it requires completely rethinking a character.

      Delete
  4. Hallie, I never thought of the difference between plot and story before. Now I will be aware of it when I am sitting down to write a review. But, honestly, if a writer doesn't tie up all of the loose ends, especially if I loved the characters, I am very disappointed.

    However, when an author carries a mystery through several books, like Debs did with a mystery that was in the background, brought forward in another book, slipped back and finally is solved, I am in heaven. That, to me, is very satisfying, as a reader. The same goes for character development and for character relationships. OMG, she finally kisses him, says, "I love you," marries him. Oh, so delicious to those of us who love series.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Notice it's the ROMANCE that you're picking up there, not the mystery which usually is tied up in each book.

      Delete
    2. Debs had a mystery that carried through several books, culminating in The Garden of Lamentations. When that mystery was finally solved, it was just the best! Each book in that sequence had a mystery that was solved, but an underlying mystery remained. Yes, I recognize that the romance is separate from the mystery.

      Delete
    3. Judy, if you had heard some of the words Deb had to say about that multi-book plot . . . She worked so hard to make that work. But I think it made the four books, and the whole series so strong. She kicks butt for being able to pull that off.

      Delete
    4. Yes, so incredible. Gigi, Debs needs to know how amazing that was. I waited for each new book like a kid on Christmas! Definitely a huge butt-kicking feat!

      In fact, just between us, when I finished reading Garden of Lamentations, the STORY was so complete, I was afraid Debs would move on and not write more about my favorite family of coppers!

      Delete
    5. Judy, thank you SO much for the kind comments!!! I cannot tell you how many time I lamented writing myself into that story arc, and how much I doubted I would be able to pull it off. But once started, I had to see it through.

      Delete
    6. For me, it's the best. I just couldn't wait for the next part of it. Garden of Lamentations was a work of genius!

      Delete
  5. Food for thought here, Hallie. Thank you for using the perfect example, and explaining it so clearly.

    And yes, sometimes I do say "But, but!!" But... not very often.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Love the Maltese Falcon. It's also ideal for talking about point of view and narrative voice, but that's another topic.

      Delete
  6. This is why I am/have taught myself rudimentary outlining - saves wear and tear on the hair.

    As a reader, I love it when all the loose ends are tied up at the end of the story with only enough frayed ends left that I'm content to have them continue into the next book in the series. As a writer, I try to view plot holes as an opportunity to enrich the characters and the book. Yes, I too print and read the story, pencil in hand and try for one sitting. Two at most.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. YES! Outline!! Part of my routine when I finish a first draft is to update the outline I've usually got going because it never reflects exactly what I wrote. Then, look for plotholes.

      Delete
    2. Hallie, this is one of the reasons I write in Scrivener. It gives me an outline function that's very easy to update with changes, and to scan back and see what you might have left out.

      Delete
    3. I'm a Scrivenerholic, too. I do my initial outline on the index cards and am able to color code them for inciting incident, clues, red herrings, twists and the like.

      Delete
  7. As a reader, yes, I've found those books. Sigh.

    I rely on my critique partners to assist me during the rough draft process. They are great at saying, "Um, Liz? He was in another city two pages ago. He can't be here now." Things like that. Then after I type "THE END" I go back for a straight read-through to spackle over any holes that remain. But my group pretty much keeps me sane during the first draft process to make sure I don't have too many holes to fix.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are lucky, indeed. BTW one of the reasons I do my first total re-read on a hard copy is because it's too easy, when you're reading online, to line edit and forget to see the big picture.

      Delete
    2. I always read hard copy with a pencil, too, Hallie. In fact, I print every finished chapter in hard copy and edit as I go, as well.

      Delete
    3. I do my read-through in a PDF on my iPad and annotate. Saves trees, and wear and tear on my printer.

      Delete
  8. I'm lucky to have two writer pals who are my first readers. They are ruthless about finding holes and places where the character's motivation is unbelievable. It's annoying at the time, but I'm always very grateful in the end...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So, when a character's motivation is unbelievable, how do you fix it? (Answering the "why didn't she just call the police" question!)

      Delete
    2. That is especially tricky with a series with an amateur sleuth. Why did he/she get involved in this case? Did they not learn anything about being risking their lives in previous books etc.

      Delete
  9. Hallie, great topic! Thanks for the lesson! As a reader, I'll jettison a book if the plot and the story start to stray too far apart as I read. I'm with the Detection Club--if a writer falls back on jiggery pokery or an Act of God to explain something--they're too lazy or too dull for me to give them any more of my time. This reminds me of the time I finished (heaving, gasping, drained) my dissertation first draft, only to have my advisor read the final chapter and say to me: "Where did THAT come from?! You need to go back and introduce the ideas, theory, etc., before you reach the conclusion." Yikes! I learned my lesson there--don't carry everything in your head--make sure clues get dropped along the way!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, making it feel inevitable at the end works best when it's a gradual process.

      Delete
  10. Hallie, I really like that concept of plot versus story. It goes a long way to explaining why it is that I can tell my husband the story of a great book I just finished during our morning walk, when it gave me hours of delight to read it. I just tell him the story, in a straightforward fashion, without leading him through the twists and turns and red herrings of a plot.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yup, sort of takes the fun out of it. I'm guessing he's more a reader of nonfiction?

      Delete
    2. That is exactly correct. He almost never sits down with a novel, but keeps me up to date about what's going on in the world, new research findings, etc.

      Delete
  11. I'm about to throw all my "story" jigsaw pieces on the dining room table and assemble a new plot with a new beginning and new ending. AAAGH! Yes, I can salvage most of what I've written.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm with you in spirit!! Yes, I've been there... too many times.

      Delete
  12. Hallie, my books go via John first who is a brutal critic! Any inconsistencies get weeded out then. I think half the fun of writing a mystery is putting the story together like a jigsaw puzzle

    ReplyDelete
  13. I recently read a mystery in which something that was rather significant, in my opinion, just dropped off the radar about three quarters of the way in. The motivation for the incident was never really explained, and it was a life-altering event. As I got near the end of the book I kept asking “but when we will find out why such-and-such happened?” It was a crime, one of many in the story. Still, I did like the book, and I have forgiven the brand-new author and plan to read the next book. If another major event never gets explained, I may not continue reading that author’s books.

    DebRo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "But but but..." Oh I know that feeling. Untied loose ends.

      Delete
  14. I really like Walter Mosley's distinction between story and plot. That really does make it all work, particularly in a mystery. I'm a pantser, and when I started the mystery I'm working on now, I didn't really even know who the bad guy was. But once I got the story sorted out, motivations and all, it became a lot more fun to work on the plot.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gigi, it's like magic when you pantsers get everything to work. It seems simpler to begin with an outline, but I do understand how exciting it must be to say, "Hm-m, let's see where this goes!"

      Delete
  15. Sadly, yes. I have finished books and been left wondering about some things. Usually, however, the author does a great job of wrapping everything up.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. But oh my, it's so disappointing when up to the end everything was going along swimmingly and then, boom, the bottom falls out.

      Delete
  16. I recently read a book where the amateur sleuth fell in the too stupid to live category. She even admitted it was probably not the smartest action especially after her previous adventure but she does it anyway! And again. And again. It was a good story but ...Do critique groups or beta readers ever address this issue successfully?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They try to. But sometimes an author is so wedded to their idea of how the story goes that they can't hear the criticism.

      Delete
  17. I read the story/plot dichotomy explained this way: The queen died and the king died is the story. The queen died and then the king died of grief is the plot.

    And Hallie, I am constantly finding gaping holes in my plots. I spend a lot of time doing what I call "back and fill" to get rid of them (or hopefully get rid of them.) Any readers who marvel at how we smoothly manage the twists and turns would be amazed at how much tap dancing we do to cover up our errors!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think that quote is from E. M. Forster. And it feels like an entirely different take on the story/plot dichotomy. About the way each event should CONNECT to the next, not simply follow it.

      Delete
  18. I'm happy to say that it's rarely I read a book that has me muttering the but, but, but at the end. It has happened, but I tend to read authors with whom I'm familiar and already love their stories, so I'm pretty much guaranteed a great plot taking me to the story. I have come upon the occasional blunder where an author has seemingly forgotten to make something about a character consistent, and I mutter to myself that an editor should have caught that. But, again, I rarely have any reason to complain.

    ReplyDelete
  19. I am always spotting plot holes when I read my first drafts, and frequently there is one stubborn one that doesn't get resolved until the third or more. Often it's the one that requires telling a convoluted whopper and I have to work up the courage, by being forced into a corner, to do that.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Let's hear it for "convoluted whoppers"! What drives me nuts is when I have to rejigger a timeline and there are ripples that affect multiple characters in multiple scenes... Aaaaagh!

      Delete
  20. This is a great topic and discussion. I think time and space are key for finding this stuff and fixing it. Taking a break, getting away from the book and coming back with fresh eyes can make those plot holes appear as if by magic. I've been thinking lately about books I've loved that had unresolved or ambiguous endings and why those authors got away with it when others didn't. Not sure I have an answer yet . . . And I have also found that as a passionate (and speedy) reader of crime novels, I have more than once reached the end and felt like something was left hanging and then gone back and realized it was my fault for reading too fast!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Exactly: "Taking a break, getting away from the book and coming back with fresh eyes..." And I'm often guilty of 'speed reading' too. And yet, isn't that a trait so many mystery readers share?

      Delete
    2. Yes -- I always find it funny when I miss something that way, especially since I know how long it takes to write that page I just flew through!

      Delete
  21. Hallie, I love Mosley's explanation. While I generally start a book with an idea of the story, the plot--how the characters/detectives figure out the story (what really happened) in a plausible and logical way--is the thing that makes me pull my hair out!

    ReplyDelete
  22. I'm late to this very interesting conversation, and how interesting it is! I am always annoyed as a reader when something is solved with too much luck and coincidence; and I really do not like the solution coming from the protagonist's head/mind all neatly laid out on the page as exposition (is that the right term?) -- I want, as the reader, to have been able to follow the clues along the way.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, that's exposition. And it just lies there lifeless and flat on the page.

      Delete
    2. Exactly that: flat and lifeless, Hallie. A heinous crime in itself! ha ha

      Delete
  23. As a reader: A lot of the time! As a writer: Most of the time! (And as a Netflix viewer: ALL of the time!) I've finally learned for my own books to write a short synopsis for myself called "What Really Happened" (who, what, where, when and how, essentially)." After that, the plotting (clues, reveals, twists, etc.) just has to make sense against it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A what really happened synopsis - Great idea! I do an outline and a timeline. It helps.

      Delete
  24. Such a great post, Hallie! I love that you (and Mr. Mosley) reveal how there are two separate yet equally important forces at work when writing a mystery. I'll be mulling over this quite a bit as I race to the finish, hoping that my plot holes are only pot holes!

    ReplyDelete
  25. I heard you share that quote at an event we did together, and it ABSOLUTELY stuck with me and I think of it often!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Kathy!! And I'm still mulling your comments about those of us in "mixed marriages" - where the spouses have different relationships with their own stuff.

      Delete
  26. This is great. Thanks for explaining this. It makes perfect sense now!

    ReplyDelete
  27. You book writers aren't too bad but TV and comics have a lot of plot holes and character changes. Soap operas and comic books often have multiple creators that drop story lines and radically change characters. I still haven't forgiven Jack Kirby when he took over The Black Panther and sent him into space, not only not wrapping up the Klu Klux Klan storyline but not even saying good-by to his current girlfriend. I don't care that he created the character, he needed to respect the readers who had been reading while he was off the book. Stay safe and well.

    ReplyDelete
  28. As a reader, I have finished mysteries where that happened.

    ReplyDelete