Hoo Da Thunk It?

Well, really, I should have anticipated this. "Great oaks from little acorns grow" and all that. Plus, I can see through my personal observation that trying to organize writers is like, as they say, herding cats. Plus, and I must confess I remain astonished at this every time I observe it, which is often enough thank you very much, writers can have the most determined and emotional disagreements with each other over matters that, to an outsider appear not worth the stalking out of meetings and conversations, or unfriending. Or criticism to anyone who will listen.

But even though we may disagree on various points, you'd think, I mean wouldn't you, I mean really, think that we could all agree on some fundamental definitions or, at least general descriptions, of certain words we all use to describe the parts of our mutual craft.

For me, it all started when the supportive editor of my Guest Column contributions to a local newspaper, used his kind but clear voice to let me know I needed to re-work a particular submission because the "narrative flow" didn't, well, flow. As I said in an earlier blog, I have never given much thought to anything that might be called "narrative flow".

Then, I read a Stephen King quote that said a writer's priority is to "keep the ball rolling".

So then I decided to write what I considered to be the most plot-driven of all the genres I might have some chance of writing -- a mystery. (This even though a colleague of mine -- who actually writes mysteries and has recently had on e accepted for publication -- says she is a 'pantser'. That is, a writer who lets the characters and situations determine what happens next.  "How," I thought, "could you write a mystery and not know the plot?" Still, I pressed on.

Then, I acquired King's book On Writing which, by the way, I recommend with an exclamation mark. In it, he said:

"In my view, stories and novels consist of three parts: narration, which moves the story from point A to point B and finally to point Z; description, which creates a sensory reality for the reader; and dialogue, which brings characters to life.

You may wonder where plot is in all this. The answer - my answer, anyway - is nowhere. I won't try to convince you that I've never plotted any more than I'd try to convince you that I've never told a lie, but I do both as infrequently as possible. I distrust plot for two reasons: first, because our lives are largely plotless; and second, because I believe plotting and the spontaneity of real creation aren't compatible."

Then (thanks for sticking with me. I will make the next post much shorter.) Then, after flailing around, I Googled the difference between "plot" and "narrative".

After hours of this that and the other thing, looking at disagreements and mysterious assumptions, I discovered what I should have suspected. 

• Writers don't agree on the differences among plot, narrative and story.
• And, when they do say something useful, it is useful only in retrospect of figuring things out by locating a truly useful resource.

I should really check this post for narrative flow -- suspect I should re-work it. Think of it as a draft.

For the answer to plot vs. narrative, see next, short, post.