My Solution to Shoehorning

[DismaiNaim]

Shoehorning [there's probably another word for this but IDGAS] is when the author insists on shoving some piece of plot element in where it doesn't belong because [at the time] it feels important.

I have, traditionally, been quite guilty of this, especially when it comes to new ideas I want to incorporate. It's a byproduct of being impatient.

My Solution: I have a folder for "future content" where I map out every reveal, every plot point, new characters, including what details to deliver and when. which drips to feed the audience, and so forth. These files are "CH0200" and CH0550 etc etc.

Now, whenever I'm tempted to shoehorn something in where it doesn't belong, I figure out where it goes in the big picture and drop it there. It also gives me quite the lead time to foreshadowing

 

[Envylope]

Good idea

 

[SouthernMaiden]

Pretty good way to do it! Gota be patient

 

[L1aei]

How do you restrain yourself from shoehorning foreshadowing of the planned big reveal later? Like I know outlines are there for a reason, but an outline can have those shoehorned plot points as a part of their scaffolding, so what do we do to keep us from becoming anxious and hinting at what is coming? Or do you want to clue readers in on it?

 

[Anonjohn20]

And so, another pantser author discovers planning and becomes a planner/plotter author.

 

[L1aei]

And so, another pantser author discovers planning and becomes a planner author.

Hey now, there's some merit to this thread, like how do you foreshadow without screaming the answer through a megaphone because I'd be too excited it exists, you know?

 

[Anonjohn20]

Hey now, there's some merit to this thread

I agree; anything that helps authors reach the end rather than leave their story in infinite hiatus has merit. Most pantsers think they are Stephen King (finished many stories) and discover they are George R. R. Martin (can't finish any of his stories/franchises to save his life).

 

[DismaiNaim]

How do you restrain yourself from shoehorning foreshadowing of the planned big reveal later? Like I know outlines are there for a reason, but an outline can have those shoehorned plot points as a part of their scaffolding, so what do we do to keep us from becoming anxious and hinting at what is coming? Or do you want to clue readers in on it?

One example:
CH0021 — introduce mysterious book in the library in strange script

CH0043 — MC learns that no one can read it

CH0057 — passing comment to remind reader that mystery book exists

CH0078 — librarian gives tour and explains its origin, shows characters a letter written by the explorer who brought it back. Doesn't read the letter, ends with "you'll have to come back. Borrowing fee is one kren. Over this way we have..."

CH0100 — MC goes back to read the letter.

CH0220 — magic ability blinks enabling MC to read the title

CH0355 — MC now better controls magic ability enabling him to read the book.

 

[L1aei]

One example:
CH0021 — introduce mysterious book in the library in strange script

CH0043 — MC learns that no one can read it

CH0057 — passing comment to remind reader that mystery book exists

CH0078 — librarian gives tour and explains its origin, shows characters a letter written by the explorer who brought it back. Doesn't read the letter, ends with "you'll have to come back. Borrowing fee is one kren. Over this way we have..."

CH0100 — MC goes back to read the letter.

CH0220 — magic ability blinks enabling MC to read the title

CH0355 — MC now better controls magic ability enabling him to read the book.

This is good but I am a little concerned here because it introduces a plot device from the very beginning that the readers expect it to mean something, but if you keep that many chapters away from the main point of it existing, wouldn't this cause readers to see the mysterious book as a Chekov's Gun, even if it ain't?

 

[Hans.Trondheim]

And so, another pantser author discovers planning and becomes a planner/plotter author.

Story of my life.

This is good but I am a little concerned here because it introduces a plot device from the very beginning that the readers expect it to mean something, but if you keep that many chapters away from the main point of it existing, wouldn't this cause readers to see the mysterious book as a Chekov's Gun, even if it ain't?

One way of how I deal with such eventuality is to create scenes and tropes that purposefully mislead the readers while having them smacked at the end of the reveal.

But yeah, veteran readers often know what trope/object/character would have big roles later in the story simply by how the author writes about them.

Hey now, there's some merit to this thread, like how do you foreshadow without screaming the answer through a megaphone because I'd be too excited it exists, you know?

There is another way I used aside from purposefully misleading readers, and that is 'giving' more importance to other aspects of the story, it overwhelms the original reveal.

 

[L1aei]

One way of how I deal with such eventuality is to create scenes and tropes that purposefully mislead the readers while having them smacked at the end of the reveal.

But yeah, veteran readers often know what trope/object/character would have big roles later in the story simply by how the author writes about them.

There is another way I used aside from purposefully misleading readers, and that is 'giving' more importance to other aspects of the story, it overwhelms the original reveal.

Oh, not a classical red herring but what they were meant to be. Nice.

 

[Hans.Trondheim]

Oh, not a classical red herring but what they were meant to be. Nice.

Sometimes, those parts where I purposefully mislead becomes a possible plotpoint from where I can expand some sideplots.

My long series, The Human Saint is Bored, got lots of sideplots born out of my style of misleading readers, though it won't always work. So, I switch to the 'giving a trope/character' more importance than the original reveal, just to keep readers from guessing what's next.

I agree; anything that helps authors reach the end rather than leave their story in infinite hiatus has merit. Most pantsers think they are Stephen King (finished many stories) and discover they are George R. R. Martin (can't finish any of his stories/franchises to save his life).

Problem with most of such authors is that once they felt they don't want to continue a story anymore, they just drop it completely without a thought of ever returning.

Burnout from one's work is usual, especially those who tend to push themselves harder than their limit. What they aren't used to is going back after a few weeks, months, or even a few years might get them to write that certain story again.

 

[TinaMigarlo]

Hey now, there's some merit to this thread, like how do you foreshadow without screaming the answer through a megaphone because I'd be too excited it exists, you know?

I do sentence fragments on numbered lines when I outline. tiny goal of chapter, nothing more.
sometimes, in reading passes, I notice accidental foreshadows, and they're slight.
example. when I decided at the end oir near, to kill the MC and he ended up having his life taken for doing a goiod thing.
I realized upon reading passes doing typos. He had a few jokes that seemed to hint at dying.
I just added a few more as I went, equally as soft.
he was entertaining his girl and her friend being silly.
he said "oh, its hell to hit these years, I'm not what I once was, you know."
girl remarked christ, he's 24. I like when he does this entertaining stuff though.
i didn't catch it, until I was reading rhrough and realized I had a few foreshadows, nice tiny ones.
I just leaned into it
"hey. coffee, or orange juice."
"coffee, juice'll make me live longer."
it was all a happy accident.
I don't always know the twist or the reveal until I'm working, and I add it to my sentence fragment skeleton outline.
its like I'm only pants-ing a chapter at a time, but to a stated sentence fragment goal.
and out of say 20 numbered lines, if I get to #17 and decide... the MC wouldn't "do that" and here's why...
i'm not afraid to change it. The outline has already done its job keeping me paced and focused by 17 out of 20.
i need room to breathe, but a gentle guide. its a balancing act.

my fragment outlined work? consistently comes out shorter, tighter paced, more accessible.
my all pantsed? consistently gets big.
your laughter is appropriate, going my my readership stats.
if nothing else, I can serve as a negative example to other writers.

 

[Author_Riceball]

Shoehorning [there's probably another word for this but IDGAS] is when the author insists on shoving some piece of plot element in where it doesn't belong because [at the time] it feels important.

I have, traditionally, been quite guilty of this, especially when it comes to new ideas I want to incorporate. It's a byproduct of being impatient.

My Solution: I have a folder for "future content" where I map out every reveal, every plot point, new characters, including what details to deliver and when. which drips to feed the audience, and so forth. These files are "CH0200" and CH0550 etc etc.

Now, whenever I'm tempted to shoehorn something in where it doesn't belong, I figure out where it goes in the big picture and drop it there. It also gives me quite the lead time to foreshadowing

Shoehorning ceases to be shoehorning if he’s explained and justified

 

[JordanIda]

OP, you're describing outlining, although scattershot and often ex post facto. And yes, the result all too often is a big hot mess. Outlining is where the author must start. The objective is to surprise the reader. The author should never be surprised.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

OP, you're describing outlining, although scattershot and often ex post facto. And yes, the result all too often is a big hot mess. Outlining is where the author must start. The objective is to surprise the reader. The author should never be surprised.

Spoken like someone who has never had a character decide to take things in a different direction...

 

[JordanIda]

Oh, they take things in different directions. In the outline.

My comment presumes that one doesn't write the first word without knowing the last. :D

This of course presumes that a primary objective for the novel writing process is to finish the novel. I realize that the Patreon grind disincentivizes finishing. Most of the books here and in that other little place with two R's don't finish, and the authors have no intention of ever finishing them. But in that case "shoehorning" has no relevance as an anti-pattern, right? One could shoehorn some twist into chapter 101 with the intention of maybe resurrecting it in chapter 527, or chapter 943. Or beyond. Or even edit the scene out, and see if anyone misses it.