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Stopped using overly complicated plots for short stories
Took a creative writing night class downtown and the instructor told me my 20 page story had too many characters. Cut it down to 3 people and the whole thing finally worked. Has anyone else gutted their draft like that?
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christopher9431mo ago
Oh man, I used to pile on all these subplots thinking it made me look smart... but you're right, keeping it simple is way harder and works so much better.
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the_jennifer1mo ago
Oh, I'm not so sure. Sometimes a good tangled web of subplots can keep readers invested and make the world feel lived in, even if it takes more work to pull off cleanly.
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