Ask SD Tracy Harper #44

Ask SD Tracy Harper #44
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Q:  SD, Is it important to have side stories?

A:  There is an old saying that all roads leads home. Well, it’s true, but then and again there’s another old saying that you can never go home again. As always, the answer is up to you. However, I enjoy side stories when they don’t get in the way of the main storyline. But, be forewarned of the Secondary Lead Characters syndrome. They are like secondary love interest and have a funny way of gathering a large and vocal following that (has at times) over shadowed the entire main story and in some cases the main characters themselves. These side stories can be used for anything from comic relief to new character introductions to the antagonist’s point of view. What is most important is the relevance the side story has towards the main body of work. The introduction of a side story is relatively simple, but to bring it back into the main story line can be difficult. This is especially true if the timing isn’t quite right. Let’s say that your main character has found the person he is looking for and is nearly upon them, but the secondary character was trying to escape an old love interest that he had learned has a husband who is the rich powerful and extremely ugly. You could bring these two story lines together by saying the husband is the person the lead character is looking for, but how do you make the meeting of all three happen if the time of day or locations don’t line up. As I have said many times over, nothing is written in stone so keep those erasers handy. I hope this helps. SD

Q:  SD, How do I stop what I see on TV and in the movies from affecting my writing?

A:  Stop watching TV and going to the movies. Sounds unrealistic, well it is. You can’t stop your life from happening, but you can avoid seepage from other entertainment from encroaching on your story. And, before there is a backlash from previous Ask SD Tracy Harper and Reasons & Realities, music does play a part but only on an emotional level. Although, a little Aerosmith’s feet flying up in the air has one hell of a visual, it still doesn’t compare to very close similarities of a TV or movie character or storyline expressing the same emotion, language, and imagery. A way to help this from happening is to write lots and lots of notes and stick to them. There may be places here and there where your story is enhanced by subtle changes, but remain focused on you vision and not someone else. I hope this helps. SD

Q:  SD, Does the story always have to have a happy ending?

A: The short answer is NO! However, (there is always a however), people read for the escapism and are prone to seeing the hero win, the villain gets what they deserve, and for the world to be saved once more. This doesn’t mean that the road where the villain had won, the guy doesn’t get the girl, and a very few survivors are left when humanity is forced to leave the planet or die. When it is all said and done, the person who makes the final decision is yours. There are roads less traveled, galaxies that have yet to be explored, and people whom the world is waiting to meet. You are the author and only you have the key that unlocks your imagination, where the greatest story that had ever been told is waiting for you to bring it to life. I hope this helps. SD

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