tension and pacing

[isiscolo]

z_rayne had an thought-provoking post last week about elements that make a story unreadable or difficult to read for her, and quite an interesting discussion sprung up in the comments. I weighed in with some of my own factors that make my fingers move toward the back button. But there's one thing that can't be expressed in the same type of black-or-white

Comments

[isiscolo]

Wow, your icon is scary.

And I remember that post! (See, things that have to do with sex stick in my mind, too!) She's totally right - and actually, that goes along with minisinoo's post taking off from this (which I should ETA): sex scenes (like all scenes) should have a purpose in the overall plot. That gives the sex an urgency that is just delicious.

The premature resolution problem is exasperating, because you can see the elements of a good story in there. I think that some writers have a hard time putting their characters through fire, perhaps. They just want to get to (what they see as) the "good part" - but the good part for me is getting there!

I also have a special loathing for fics that exist only to show us the characters leading happy lives in a wish-fulfillment kind of way, with maybe a little artificial conflict thrown in for window dressing.

This is why most PWP doesn't work for me. La la la they have a happy established relationship and then they have sex la la la is terribly boring to me. I need to have a story there, or I don't care about their sex. (Although, as I alluded to before, early in my fannish love for a new fandom or pairing, this isn't so urgent for me.)

[rexluscus]

Oh yes, I forgot - that's an excellent point you made, too, about your tastes changing the longer you're in fandom. At first, it's enough that there's a buildup to sex - but eventually, that conflict alone becomes too familiar and you need something else. I've gotten so jaded about Snape/Harry stories where Harry comes back to Hogwarts as a teacher and slowly seduces Snape - there are many classics that use that formula, and it's a shame that I can't really enjoy them anymore, but...it just ain't enough! I know how it ends already.

And you're totally right about writers not wanting their characters to suffer too much. The rule for drama should always be "what's the worst thing that could possibly happen at this juncture?" and then make that happen! (Well, within reason.) It's maddening when characters simply glide through the story without getting a (metaphorical or otherwise) scratch on them.

And heheh re: icon - yeah, I guess it's a bit creepy. *eg*

[isiscolo]

I talk about this a little in my story notes just a few days back for my latest story "Ladykiller" - I expect it's not a story you want to read, but the notes might interest you, because I talk about how I almost let the characters off easy, but decided that it would be untrue to the story I was telling.