…readers, by and large, are clever, intelligent folks… they can also often be dismissive of shoddy WURK from an Author, regardless of how vaunted that writer’s celebrity may be… the basic mystery novel, and much of crime stories will frequently hold wee ‘pointers’ toward the eventual denouement of the plot… these are frequently contained in a ‘cluster’ of information/details rolled out as the book progresses, with further ‘clues’ developing as the narrative is unwrapped… what is not welcomed by the perceptive reader are ‘surprise’ revelations that ‘suddenly’ result in ‘solving’ the plot line… that kinda quill-scraping is to be avoided at all costs… however, I’d like to focus not so much on the ‘big’ clues technique mentioned above, but in the thinking writer’s art of ‘planting’ stuff throughout the story… fr’instance in my first Jack Calder crime thriller, THE VIOLIN MAN’S LEGACY, one of the main characters gets hit by a coupla bullets, and ends up in a private room in hospital… the nurse is instructed to have the patient on ‘liquids only’ which takes the form of a large jug of water and a drinking glass parked on the stand beside his bed… a while later, an intruder attacks my guy (a former SAS officer)… his reaction to the attack is to reach out for the nearest ‘weapon’— the drinking glass, which he smashes and thrusts into the throat of the assailant, thereby saving the day… the reader will accept the presence and proximity of the glass, having had it casually mentioned in passing just a while before… in other WURDS, there’s NUTHIN ‘plucked by chance from thin air’… a superb piece of ‘planting’ was used by the splendid Author, Tom Wolfe in his terrific ‘The Bonfire of the Vanities’...
…his hero, by name Sherman, is involved in a fatal vehicle accident and taken to court… his female companion in the car is from ‘New Joisey’ and has the accent to match… before her evidence in the court scene, away from her hearing, a separate witness refers to someone calling the accused ‘Shoyman’… when the lady gives her evidence she also calls the guy ’Shoyman’, which proves to be the corroboratory clincher in getting him convicted… a great plant… so, Lads and Lassies of Blog Land, go find yer literary seeds and start planting… see yeez later… LUV YEEZ!… my planted novel, THE VIOLIN MAN’S LEGACY, is available below (do yeez see what I did there, Mabel?):
…The Violin Man’s Legacy: http://amzn.to/10wnMXB
I’ve been studying writing techniques and read about planting those clues, Seumas. It seemed odd when i learned about doing that and remember that as a reader in the past I never thought about it. I just accepted the fact. That’s the magic of writing. Now when I read a story, or see a TV program where there are clues planted, I think, “Aha.” 🙂
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..it’s great to acknowledge the techniques when you see them… you recognise good writing! 🙂
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Sorry about that typo of the small “i” in the second sentence.
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Reblogged this on Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog….. An Author Promotions Enterprise! and commented:
Some great pointers for Authors 😀
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,,thanks again,. Chris 🙂
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A little gem that deserved to be flashed around Seumas 😀
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:):)
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If there’s a gun in the drawing room in chapter one it has to be fired before the end of the book. I think that’s how it goes.
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…absolutely …the reverse is also true,,, if something is in the book, it has to add to the story at some time …that’s why I don’t like doing purely descriptive passages :)..:):)
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So true, and that can be the hard part, winnowing out the dross. 😦
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Very good advice, Seumas. Holiday hugs!
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…mega hugs back atcha, m’Lady, Teagan 🙂 mwaah 🙂
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Loved this reminder to me, coming as I’m getting into a third book. You do have to tie down all the plants, though. Your brogue is delightful.
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…cheeers, m’Lady, Noelle… 🙂
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Illuminating nudge in the right direction. Surprises are for birthdays. 😀
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,,cheeeeers , m’Lady 🙂
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I’m a retired Registered Nurse, so if you should ever want to verify a matter of fictional medical or nursing care, just ask me.
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..that’s very kind of you, m’Lady, Christine… I DO have a pending line of interest concerning a dentist who overdoses a patient in an attempt to kill the patient… p’raps a heads up on what he should administer to do that dastardly deed would be helpful ( all for fiction, I assure you!)… if you would care to contact me on my email , its seumasgallacher@yahoo.com on which same email if you ever wish to consider doing a Guest Post for the blog, I’d be delighted to have one, including the usual promo material, …cheeers 🙂 mwaaah 🙂
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Check your e-mail. 🙂 And thank you for the invitation to Guest Post. You can reply with submitter guidelines, to the address on my message.
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HAPPY HOLIDAYS, Kilt-man. All the best.
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..and all the best to you and tours, Billy Ray:) cheers, that man 🙂
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Yes, very good advice. And of course, when done well, it’s seamless…
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..yup, that’s the aim, m’Lady, Olga 🙂
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Reblogged this on theowlladyblog.
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