by Erica Vetsch, Erica Vetsch on Facebook
Have you ever had your proposal returned to you by an agent or editor with the words, ‘Nice writing, but your story is episodic.’?
Episodic? What is that? All my critique partners love my writing. They love my story. Episodic? This editor doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
You figure this is a once off, and you send the manuscript to someone else…only to have it returned with the same comment…episodic.
You now begin to believe there may be a problem, but what in the world is episodic writing?
You’re familiar with it in television. Your favorite show is made up of Episodes. Most likely you’re writing episodically because you’re so familiar with the format.
Example: One of the most popular and long-running TV shows of all time is Law & Order. Each episode followed a pattern. A crime is committed, the police investigate, the district attorney’s office gets involved, there’s a trial, and the show wraps.
Nothing really carries over from show to show that is necessary to the plot of the next show. Some storylines, like a divorce for a main character, an election for the district attorney, a pregnancy or health issue, are in the background of each episode, but they are not the driving plot of the next sixty minutes of film time. They are background subplots.
Take a look at your work. Are the same characters encountering and solving problems in single chapter increments? Are things neatly tied up at the end of each chapter and a new adventure begins at the start of the next? Are the only things tying these chapters together the characters and setting?
When writing a novel in episodes, you’re really writing short stories all linked because they happen to the same characters.
So, how do you fix this?
You need to start with a premise that will carry the entire story, not just one chapter. You need a Goal, a Motivation, and Conflict strong enough to carry a complete novel.
My book is the story of (PROTAGONIST) who wants to/must (GOAL) because he/she (MOTIVATION) but (CONFLICT) stands in her way.
Take the movie Star Wars. Luke Skywalker wants to destroy the Death Star because the Empire seeks to dominate and destroy innocent people, but Darth Vader and his Storm Troopers will do what it takes to keep the Emperor in power.
That story premise is enough to carry an entire movie, and to build a franchise around.
Take your main character, give him or her a big goal, a big reason for her to want or need to do that thing, and a big obstacle (or two or three) to keep her from getting to where she wants to go. Secondary characters will help or hinder with achieving the goal, and also add depth to the story.
There are some episodic stories that work and have sold well. Consider James Herriot’s stories of a country vet in 1930s Yorkshire. His stories are told, chapter by chapter, in humorous bits and vignettes. And it works in this instance.
But in the main, today’s editors and readers are looking for a premise strong enough to carry an entire novel, with cliffhangers and story questions at the ends of the chapters that propel them to read the next page, and the next, and the next.
He’s doing what he can to save the Prince Regent’s life . . . but can he save his new marriage as well?
Evan Eldridge never meant to be a war hero–he just wanted to fight Napoleon for the future of his country. And he certainly didn’t think that saving the life of a peer would mean being made the Earl of Whitelock. But when the life you save is dear to the Prince Regent, things can change in a hurry.
Now Evan has a new title, a manor house in shambles, and a stranger for a bride, all thrust upon him by a grateful ruler. What he doesn’t have are all his memories. Traumatized as a result of his wounds and bravery on the battlefield, Evan knows there’s something he can’t quite remember. It’s important, dangerous–and if he doesn’t recall it in time, will jeopardize not only his marriage but someone’s very life.
Best-selling, award-winning author Erica Vetsch loves Jesus, history, romance, and sports. She’s a transplanted Kansan now living in Minnesota, and she married her total opposite and soul mate! When she’s not writing fiction, she’s planning her next trip to a history museum and cheering on her Kansas Jayhawks and New Zealand All Blacks. You can connect with her at her website, www.ericavetsch.com where you can read about her books and sign up for her newsletter, and you can find her online at https://www.facebook.com/EricaVetschAuthor/ where she spends way too much time!