Story flow.

[redzwritez]

How do people manage to make their stories flow? A lot of stories and books seem to flow. One part comes to a close and then it flows into the next bit. One character's perspective shifts to another character's and it just makes sense when you're reading it. When I try to plan out my stories though the first bit winds to a stop and then nothing feels right. It's like whatever happens next happens because I needed to force it in there. Does this happen to anyone else?

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Editing. Honestly, I've spent about 3 days editing a section that's about to go on Crits, for flow. Flow is one of the hardest bits to get to work.

 

[Bramandin]

I have a feeling that people just get a sense of what does and doesn't work through observation and practice.

Also, any time it happens on the first draft is likely to be from luck. A lot of people are probably padding and trimming through a couple of passes.

 

[Astro Pen]

I usually stick like glue to the MC perspective and keep the chronology linear. It is kind of automatic then.
If you are going to "Meanwhile back at the ranch" or make multiple characters story lines that 'come together ' you have a challenge. In fact I usually give up reading books like that because for the first half it can feel like having 3 books on the go at thee same time and switching between them.

 

[tinkerdan]

An important thing about flow is that it is there to help sort out the confusion.

How to Make a Story Flow

A creative writing and fiction advice blog for writers.

allwritefictionadvice.blogspot.com

But there is more to it: it is also about writing well a editing well to take out the “choppy,” “awkward,” and “wordy” parts that creep into writing.
and its about keeping things moving forward:

How To Make Your Story Flow - Writer's Life.org

There are many elements that writers need to consider when crafting a story. We often focus on plot, characterization and creating believable, vivid worlds. However, another point to consider is the flow of the story. Good stories have a certain rhythm, they have peaks and troughs, and they ebb...

writerslife.org

And understanding that it is all about learning to write concise and well to create a better reading experience.

What Does “Flow” Mean & How to Achieve It in Your Writing

How to achieve flow in writing by learning to omit unnecessary elements

writingcooperative.com

For some it might mean having an outline--even if it is a rough outline--so that you know where you are headed.

Flow - How to Create Flow in Writing

Flow is a feeling, an intuition, a felt sense, that the text is developed, organized, and presented as it should be. Learn to work with flow.

writingcommons.org

Lastly it helps to understand the pieces and parts of story and three act structure.

Story Structure and Plot Beats

A story is a complex entity comprising many interrelating parts. The author imposes some sort of organising principle onto the material, turning the story into a narrative. The result of this forming or shaping of the material is the story structure.

www.beemgee.com

 

[Wayne Mack]

I just saw a video from Brandon Sanderson on this. He called it the three Ps of Plot: Promise, Progress, and Payoff. The short description is Promise, tell the reader what is going to happen, Progress, explicitly tell the reader when things have happened, Payoff, accomplish what has been promised. Flow is established because each scene creates a feeling of progress towards the promised end.

 

[Swank]

How do your favorite authors do it? Try writing like that.

 

[DLCroix]

This is the reason why my outlines are very light instead of detailed, because there is an evolution in the ideas such that after a while you better understand the phases of the story and your brain gives you much more original plot solutions than you had originally planned. Or you also realize the different coherence failures that usually exist in a story.
For example: today I was writing and suddenly I wondered if there could be twins of different sexes and researching on the net I found out that it was exactly the other way around: the general rule is that, in effect, it is the twins who tend to be of different sexes. sex because they are NOT the same and the twins are ALWAYS identical but, if they are of different sex, and it is very rare for that to happen, then they are called sesquizygous.
So I advise you to test the terrain filling here and there but without obsessing about everything being tied from the beginning. Basically, writing a novel is similar to building a ship: you start with the skeleton, you continue nailing board by board, and only at the end do you worry about painting.

 

[Wayne Mack]

When I try to plan out my stories though the first bit winds to a stop and then nothing feels right. It's like whatever happens next happens because I needed to force it in there. Does this happen to anyone else?

I can commiserate. I just put one story on hiatus after 20 K words and started a second. Now, I'm running into the same issue for it. My self-diagnosis is that I have defined the protagonist and created an initial set up and some constraints, but I have failed to create an antagonist. I am not trying to formulate an antagonist backstory with the goal of weaving the antagonist into the intro sections. I'm not sure if that will work for me, but it is what I am trying at the moment. I thought this might spark some ideas for you to get back on track.

 

[DLCroix]

I can commiserate. I just put one story on hiatus after 20 K words and started a second. Now, I'm running into the same issue for it. My self-diagnosis is that I have defined the protagonist and created an initial set up and some constraints, but I have failed to create an antagonist. I am not trying to formulate an antagonist backstory with the goal of weaving the antagonist into the intro sections. I'm not sure if that will work for me, but it is what I am trying at the moment. I thought this might spark some ideas for you to get back on track.

Well, it's just an idea, but I was thinking that if you defined the protagonist, his own limitations can give you the texture of the antagonist. That is, his worst enemy could be someone who knows well his fears and doubts. For example, if he does not know how to swim, the antagonist forces him into a confrontation in which water will be the main element, suppose during a flood, in a dam or even under a storm or if it is just a simple rain that will be more typical of his own therapist. Or also who was his best friend. But it could be someone who knows your hero well. In fact, I have also observed in my own stories, perhaps out of a desire not to be so Manichaean, that the enemies of my heroes are actually unknown and even the fact that they are rivals is rather an accident; in better circumstances they could have been close friends but fate put them on opposite paths. Like a war where there are no good guys or bad guys and everything seems like a cruel irony.