Alright, I just have to give a shout out to this guy: Chuck Wendig.
My current manuscript is in the final final stages of fix, edit, cover the holes, etc before I try and shoot this baby across to an agent. It’s been through a beta read, critique partners, and (hopefully) it’s about polished out.
One item of feedback I’ve received is there’s far too much mystery surrounding this story. The reader is frustrated that he hasn’t figured it all out (plot, character motivations, etc) at around the 100 page mark. To be honest, that’s the point, isn’t it?
But, like all first-time novelists, I started to second-guess myself. I knew what my instincts were telling me, and so I decided to do a little research. After all… it could be me way off base too. 😛
I found Chuck’s article, which aligns almost precisely with my theory of mystery and how much a story should have. Not just for writing, but I really feel like this falls in line with world-building as well. I don’t want my readers to take a breath… I want them to be so hell-bent on knowing more than they feel compelled to turn the page.
Because, yes… I’m that evil. ^_^
Thank you Chuck!
